


Drowning In You

by Mi_chan



Category: Led Zeppelin
Genre: Alternative Universe - Merman, Exploration, Interspecies, Interspecies Awkwardness, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Jimbert-AU, M/M, Merman Jimmy, Mind bond, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Soul Bond, Telepathic Bond, alternative universe, jimbert - Freeform, merman, merman au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-21 02:20:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 105,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21067166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mi_chan/pseuds/Mi_chan
Summary: Robert loves spending his sunday mornings at the shore, playing guitar, singing, gazing out at the ocean. Things get a little more exciting when he finds out he's had a secret admirer for quite a while, someone he did not expect, someone he didn't even believe to exist.





	1. Splish Splash

The waves, the clean air, the fresh breeze... Robert loved the ocean. It inspired him unlike anything else, the raw, wild beauty fueled his imagination and allowed the words to flow freely from his pen onto the sheet of paper. 

Just like almost every sunday morning, the young blond man sat on one of large boulders right at the shore, the waves played around them as he sat there with his guitar, playing, singing and writing down whatever came to his mind. The humid, salty air made his blonde curls appear even bigger, frizzier and poofier, but Robert couldn’t care less. Nobody ever came here, there was no beach, only rocks and boulders, this was his safe haven. He loved this spot, it was his, and only his, nobody bothered him and he could practice in peace. 

He usually spent his nights in little bars in town, playing and singing for the people. Those were his favorite moments, seeing their happy faces, the applause and the cheering, he loved the attention it got him, but from time to time, he also needed some time all by himself, to recharge his drained batteries. It made him a bit of money in addition to his dayjob and he was hoping that one day, he could live off of making music, especially now that he was starting to write his own songs, with his own lyrics.

He had just finished singing his heart out and completed the song with a few more chords on his old, beat up guitar, when he was startled by a strange, loud splashing sound coming from the usually calm ocean, just underneath the boulder he was sitting on. He looked around, but he couldn’t see anything that would have caused it, the ocean looked just as calm as it had all morning, just a few little waves licking at the rocks. 

He couldn’t quite see below the boulder he was sitting on, there was a sort of cliff where the waves had hollowed out the rock. It wasn’t like it was completely silent all the time, there was some splashing, sure, but he’d never heard such a loud noise when the ocean was that calm.

‘Maybe a fish or a seagull or something...’ Robert thought to himself and plucked the strings of his guitar again with a content sigh. It was late spring, it was already quite warm, the sun was shining and he was enjoying his time alone at the shore immensely. He’d have to go back home soon, back to his loud, boisterous roommate John, or Bonzo, as he was known by his friends. This afternoon, he’d have to go see his parents and his little sister and as much as he loved them and spending time with them, until then, he really wanted to make the most of his time here.

He started singing another song, and this time, he wasn’t disturbed by any other noises until it was time to go home. 

~

A week later, Robert found himself in the very same spot, looking forward to a few hours of solitude, just him and his guitar. He put the old guitar up on his favorite boulder and quickly climbed up as well. 

Just when he made to sit down, he heard something he’d never heard here before, a distressed whimper along with some splashing and a strange, tearing sound, like fabric being ripped. He frowned and got up, looking around to locate the source of the noises, but he could not see anything. 

Getting off of his boulder, he started searching around it, listening intently to find out where it was coming from. The distressed noises seemed to come from the water, from the cliff. He bent down and rolled up the legs of his jeans all the way up to his knees so he could walk in the shallow water on the rocks. It was cold and some of the rocks there were sharp, he had to be careful, but he couldn’t just ignore those sounds. Once he’d made it around the large boulder he usually sat on, he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the strangest thing. 

Just underneath his boulder, on a little ledge in the water, there was a young man in what seemed to be... a mermaid costume? Robert blinked and stared at him when he realized that the young man was struggling to get an old fishing net off of the fin of his costume. It was completely tangled and seemed to be cutting uncomfortably into his legs.

Robert kept staring for a moment, it was only May and while it was warm and sunny, the water was still way too cold to go for a swim, even his legs felt uncomfortably cold where he’d waded into the water, he couldn’t believe somebody actually went in there, in a costume nonetheless! The young man was shirtless and his long, dark hair was wet and a tangled mess. Robert couldn’t believe he wasn’t freezing to death. When he snapped out of it, he started to quickly make his way over to him, carefully balancing on the wet rocks.

“Hey! Let me help... what are you doing in here, aren’t you cold??” He asked as he hurried over. The other’s head snapped up and his eyes widened in what Robert could only describe as shock and fear as he saw the blonde coming towards him. He stopped trying to get the net off of his legs and tried to crawl away, off of the rocks, towards the open ocean. “No, wait... I just want to help! You can’t get that off on your own!” Robert called. 

The dark haired man kept staring at him with wide eyes, but he stopped trying to crawl backwards, away from Robert. The blonde wondered why he was so terrified. Maybe he was embarrassed that he’d been caught dressing up as a mermaid... merman? Robert didn’t like that he was so scared of him, so he gave him a big, warm smile as he made the last few steps towards him and crouched down next to him. Luckily the water was shallow enough for him not to get his ass wet, here. 

“Wait, I have a knife, I can cut the net...” He said and reached into the back pocket of his jeans where he kept a little swiss army knife just in case he ever needed any of the tools it offered. He flipped open the knife and quickly started cutting away at the net. Luckily, it wasn’t too thick and quite weathered, too, so it wasn’t too difficult to cut. 

“Bloody hell, mate, your legs must be frozen in there, couldn’t you wait until it’s a little warmer??” He gasped when he touched the wet tail. It was just as cold as the water around it and he couldn’t help but marvel at how realistic it felt. He could feel the smooth scales, they were absolutely beautiful, dark green and shimmery. He had no idea they made such realistic costumes, it must have cost a fortune. 

It still struck him as very odd that this guy had just gone for a swim in such cold water and that he hadn’t spoken to him yet, not even to thank him for his help, but he didn’t mind, he just wanted to get this stupid net off of him. He made short work of it, cutting here and there, quickly removing it. When he was done, he gave the other man a pleased smile.

“There you go, now you’re free as a fish again!” He said happily and took another moment to look at the dark haired stranger. The costume seemed to be incredibly intricate, there wasn’t even a seam where the fin met his torso, it seemed to just smoothly merge into it, he seemed to have glued additional scales on his belly, they faded out towards his chest. 

Robert looked back up at his face again, and something about it, especially his eyes, struck him as very odd-looking, but he didn’t get a chance to look at his face for more than a split second. The other man quickly flipped over onto his belly and dragged himself off of the rock they were sitting on, back into the water, and swam away more quickly than Robert had ever seen anyone swim before. He thought he caught a glimpse of webbing between the guy’s fingers before he was too far gone. 

Robert was left at the shore, still holding the nasty old net in his hands that he’d just freed this weirdo from, staring at the surface of the water that he’d just disappeared into. Never had he seen someone swim away that fast, dive down so quickly, especially not with a heavy costume clinging to their body. 

Several minutes passed, the stranger did not resurface and Robert panicked. What if he drowned?? Should he call someone? Police? Ambulance? Lifeguards?? There were no lifeguards anywhere near here, maybe at the beach at the other side of the bay, but considering it wasn’t warm enough for anybody to go swimming there, there probably weren’t any there, either. Maybe the guy came from that beach and went back there? Robert just didn’t know. 

He still couldn’t wrap his mind around any of this and he wondered if he just needed to smoke less weed. All of this was so fucking weird, maybe he’d gotten a bad batch or something and hallucinated all of it, that was entirely possible. He looked down at the net in his hands and shook his head. There was nothing Robert could do right now, so he made to get up and go back home, he’d lost his drive to practice his playing and singing.

He stopped when he saw something shiny in the water on the rock the stranger had been sitting on just moments ago and reached in there to pick it up. It was one of the scales of the costume and Robert turned it in his hand, inspecting it closely. It didn’t feel like plastic or fabric. It felt so real. At least he had proof that he hadn’t dreamed all of this. He sighed and looked at the beautiful, shiny scale once more before absentmindedly putting it in his pocket and leaving. He almost forgot his guitar on his boulder, went back for it, and made his way home. 

Later that day, he was hanging out with Bonzo, listening to music, smoking and drinking some beer. He still hadn’t stopped thinking about what had happened that morning. 

“Bonz’?” He asked with a sigh and rested his head on his friend’s shoulder. “D’you think there’s... d’you believe there’s other creatures on this planet that we don’t know about?”

“What are ya talking about, dimwit?? Of course there are, we’re discovering new species every day! Don’t you watch the news, or read a paper every once in a while?” The other man said with a laugh. Robert shook his head.

“That’s not what I mean... I don’t mean... animals. I meant... human-like creatures.” He said with a frown.

“What, like... apes? Monkeys?” Bonzo asked. “What is wrong with you, you’re talking shit. You need to lay off the weed, man.” He said shaking his head and snatching the joint from Robert’s hand, quickly taking a drag before the blonde had time to complain. 

“You’re probably right.” Robert sighed and shook his head. He couldn’t believe he’d even brought this up to his best friend. A part of him wanted to take the scale he’d found out of his pocket and show him, but he was way too scared to be laughed at, he had no way to prove it wasn’t just a simple fish scale after all, so he just let it go. “I’m going to bed.”

“Yeah, get some rest, mate. You’ve been kinda... off, today.” Bonzo said and eyed him suspiciously. Robert gave him a crooked little smile and shrugged, then went to get ready for bed. In his room, he took the scale out of his pocket and admired it once more. He was so torn between believing he’d stumbled upon something amazing and fearing he was slowly going insane. 

He sighed and put the scale into a little jewellery box that came with one of the many bracelets he was wearing, stashed it in the drawer of his bedside table, then he went to bed. Sleep did not come easily that night, he tossed and turned for a while, thinking, before finally falling asleep.


	2. A gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert knows he's not crazy, he's not just imagining things, so he keeps going back to the shore to meet the mysterious creature again. He's not very lucky, until...

He didn’t mention it to Bonzo, or anybody else, again. Not that anybody would believe him, people like his friends who knew about his weed habit would just tell him to smoke less and his parents would probably worry about his mental health. But Robert was sure he wasn’t crazy and he was going to prove it, if only to himself.

He found himself going back to the shore, against his better judgement, the very spot he visited only on sundays, but now he went there every single day, hoping against all odds that he would see the dark haired stranger again. Of course, he was nowhere to be found and Robert didn’t have all the time in the world between work and singing in the pubs. Once again, he started to wonder if he had imagined it all, but it had seemed so real... and that scale...

He still came back the next sunday and sat on his rock, a little closer to the shore, just in case, and started playing again, just like he did every sunday. He kept pausing to listen for any splashing, but there wasn’t a single unusual sound. At first. 

After a few songs, he finally heard what he’d been listening for. A splash, then the sound of something hitting his rock. He spun around and leaned over the edge of his rock, but... nothing. He sighed heavily in disappointment, but then he spotted something lying on the rock. He reached out and took it. It was a beautiful comb, made entirely out of mother of pearl, intricately carved. He gasped as he turned it over in his hand, admiring it. It possessed the same kind of beauty the scale had, a beautiful iridescence, but instead of green, this white comb was shimmering in all shades of blue and purple. It looked like it came from another world, definitely not human-made. He quickly leaned over the edge of his rock again, looking around, but there was no one to be seen, the water as calm as ever.

“I... I don’t know who you are... but you don’t have to be afraid of me! I mean no harm, I swear!” He called, his eyes searching the surface of the water. It remained as calm as always and Robert sighed. “Please... Come back?” He said softly, disappointed. He hopped off the boulder and rolled up the legs of his jeans once more, walking around it towards the shore, waiting and watching, but no matter how much time he spent staring out at the water, nothing happened. 

His excitement and his curiosity were gnawing at him and he was getting more and more frustrated, but there was nothing he could do but to come back here and wait. He’d have to be patient. Who- or whatever this was, they had reached out to him again, so Robert knew he wasn’t crazy and maybe, just maybe, if he was patient, they’d do so again. Now that he had even more proof that he hadn’t imagined any of this, he was more determined than ever to get this creature to trust him.

He looked at the comb again, turning it in his hands. This couldn’t be a coincidence and he most definitely wasn’t imagining it. He was holding the evidence in his hands! This was real. Did the merman lose it or did he mean to give it to Robert? Was it a gift? He couldn’t have lost it, he’d thrown it up on Robert’s boulder. He knew the singer would be sitting up there. Maybe he wanted to thank him for helping him out of the net last weekend. Robert liked that thought. He smiled to himself and held the comb close to his chest for a brief moment before pocketing it, just like the scale. Even if he never got to see the merman again, he’d cherish this beautiful piece of craftsmanship forever.

During the week, he came back to his spot every single day once again, but just like the week before, there was nothing, nobody. He figured the creature knew he was there on sundays and it (he? It was probably a he, but Robert couldn’t be sure, could he?) didn’t come looking for him on other days, so he decided to wait for sunday again. A plan soon started forming inside his head. He wasn’t going to give up that easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait to post the next chapter, lol. This has been surprisingly well recieved! Thank you, everybody who commented and gave kudos! <3 I'm very, very grateful for each and every one of you!  
This is a short one, but it's more of an interlude, a set up to the whole thing. :)


	3. Sing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert's plan works out, he finally gets to meet his secret admirer. Communication isn't easy, so he decides to sing for him, instead.

That sunday, he went to his spot a few hours earlier than usually. This would be the day, he could feel it in his bones. He just knew it’d work, the merman had shown up every sunday since he’d first saw him, he wouldn’t fail to show up now. This time, he didn’t sit up on his rock. He’d put on shorts that morning so he wouldn’t have to roll up his jeans and just waded into the water to get behind that rock he usually sat on, up on that little shelf of rock his secret admirer apparently liked to perch on when he listened to him. He sat there, his back right up against the cliff, and waited.

This way, the creature wouldn’t see him unless he actually came out of the water. He might just jump right back in at the sight of Robert in front of him, but maybe, just maybe he’d be too curious as well, just like the blonde. Of course Robert knew that the other was scared, terrified of him even, but he thought he’d sensed some curiosity as well when they’d first met. Why would he make the effort of coming here every sunday if he didn’t want to know more about the human that was sitting there, singing, every time? 

When the time he’d usually start singing drew closer, his heart started pounding in excitement. He kept his eyes fixed on the water, that ledge right in front of him, and sure enough, he wasn’t disappointed. At first, he only heard a little splash, then a louder one, and two hands gripped the edge of the rocky shelf he was sitting on. Robert had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from yelling in triumph, instead, he kept as quiet as possible, not moving. 

The creature very slowly drew himself up on the ledge, careful not to make too much noise. He hoisted himself up with his arms, then slowly dragged his tail on the ledge as well. Robert watched, utterly fascinated, when the creature seemed to cough up some water before drawing his first breath of air. It took him just a moment to get used to it, then he reached up and removed the hair that was clinging to his face, brushing it back. 

When he raised his head, his gaze didn’t immediately fall on Robert, instead he looked out at the ocean for a moment before crawling a little further up on the ledge. Now that he’d turned back towards the cliff, he couldn’t help but notice the human sitting there, looking at him with wide eyes.

“You came! I knew it!” Robert said, he just couldn’t help himself. He’d had a suspicion that this creature had listened to him before, he’d heard him splash before, not just once. It all started to make sense now. The dark haired creature looked at him in surprise, his eyes widened and he immediately made to get back into the water, to swim away just like he had the first time. 

“Please stay! Please, I promise I mean no harm! I know you can understand me!” Robert said quickly, but it was too late, the merman had made his way back into the water already. This time, however, he resurfaced again and looked up at the ledge. Robert fought the urge to get closer right away and start pleading with him, he just stayed where he was, trying to be as non-threatening as possible.

‘I was right. He does understand me!’ Robert thought in triumph and smiled at the other. Very, very slow, he inched just a little closer, watching the creature curiously and he was met with both fear and curiosity as well. 

“Please come back? I just... want to be your friend.” He said. When the creature didn’t dive back down, instead swimming just a little closer and considering him curiously, he almost squealed with joy, just so holding back. He didn’t want to scare off his new friend. He moved back against the cliff, wondering how to persuade the merman to came back on land.

“I’ll sing for you, if you come back up here.” He said. He felt a tad bit guilty for trying to persuade him like that, but he was pretty sure the creature liked his music, that’s what he came for after all, wasn’t it? The dark haired creature slowly swam up to the edge again and peeped over it at the human. Robert could almost see the wheels turning in his head, like he was weighing the pros and cons, but his curiosity seemed to get the better of him and he dragged himself up on the ledge once more, staying as far away from Robert as possible, as close to the water to get away quickly if he had to.

Now that he was actually looking at him, Rober could see very clearly that he was not human, from the tail and the fin, the tone of his skin, the webbing between his fingers to his eyes, he looked different. His eyes were big and beautiful, but his pupils looked different than human ones, bigger, and occasionally, something that looked like a third lid was popping up from the inner corner of his eyes, covering them briefly before disappearing again. ‘Must be to keep his eyes from drying out...’ Robert mused. He’d seen that before, mostly in reptiles, though. 

He noticed that while he was very pale, his skin had a green tinge to it and there were darker green markings all over his skin, up his arms, his shoulders, even on the sides of his face. A lot of him was unfortunately covered by that huge mass of long, tangled black hair, though. Robert thought it must look beautiful underwater, but up here, it just looked matted and messy. He looked absolutely fascinating, nevertheless, though, and Robert couldn’t stop staring. 

He had no idea how he could have mistaken him for a human being at first, it must have been a mixture of how quickly everything had happened and... denial? He wasn’t quite sure. He hadn’t really looked at his face much back then, after all, he’d focused mostly on that stupid net wrapped around his tail. 

“You do understand what I’m saying, don’t you?” Robert asked. He almost cheered when indeed, the creature nodded tentatively. “You’ve listened to me singing before, haven’t you?” The blonde prodded, getting another nod in response. The creature was still eyeing him warily, but he was also looking him up and down curiously. 

“Can you speak?” Robert then found himself asking. He had no idea why he’d even ask that, why would this creature speak a human language? But he clearly understood what the blonde was saying and he seemed so similar to a human being. Maybe Robert just really desperately wanted to connect with him, to talk to him.

To his surprise (and utter joy), the merman made to nod again, but stopped himself mid-gesture. An insecure expression crossed his face and he looked down briefly. He then raised his hand and made a gesture that Robert could only interpret as ‘yes and no’, or ‘maybe’. He was about to ask what that meant, when the creature cleared his throat. When he first opened his mouth, only a strange, gurgling sound came out, but after a few tries, it got clearer.

“Yes.” It took even longer for the other to finally get that little word out and it was so quiet and soft, Robert could have missed it, but he didn’t, not quite. That one single word had sounded strange, like it came from another world, like his voice, his mouth, wasn’t used to making that sound, speaking this language, but he had understood it nevertheless. He beamed at the creature brightly and inched a little closer, carefully. 

“Woah, this is awesome! This is so cool! What are you? Wait, that’s probably incredibly rude, I didn’t mean to offend you... I’m Robert! I’m, er, I’m a human, I guess! Do you have a name?” The blonde found himself babbling, unable to stop himself. The other’s eyes widened again, he just blinked at him in confusion and Robert realized he’d probably spoken way too fast and the sea creature hadn’t understood, this time. He slowly tilted his head and frowned as if he was trying to make sense of the blonde’s rambling.

Robert couldn’t help but find him adorable, he looked so confused, but he also felt sorry for making it so hard for him. He took a deep breath to calm himself down a bit and smiled at him a little sheepishly, then he repeated himself, much more slowly.

“My name is Robert. Do you have a name?” He said, pointing at his chest, then at his new friend and this time, he could see that he’d understood. Robert felt butterflies of excitement in his stomach as he watched the other moving his lips like he was trying to say his name, savouring it and the way it felt on his tongue. ‘Robert’. It took even longer for him to answer, this time. Robert could tell that he was looking for the right words, the right sounds to make and it didn’t come easily to him at all.

“I do. Cannot say in your language.” He said slowly. It still sounded odd, like he was pronouncing each letter of every word carefully, just like a child who was just learning to read, one letter at a time, and he had a strange little lisp. As he spoke, Robert could see he had many small, incredibly sharp looking teeth and a strangely long, thin, pointy tongue, which explained the lisp.

“Oh. Well. Tell me in yours, then?” He suggested and the creature actually smiled. Apparently, that was a universal thing.

“I cannot. Mine needs water.” He explained. Robert didn’t quite know what exactly that meant, but he was a little disappointed that he wouldn’t learn his name, at least not right now. Maybe he meant that he couldn’t speak his own language up on the land, he could only speak that language in the water? His mind was buzzing with a million questions, but he didn’t want to annoy or upset his new friend, either, he still looked rather skittish and he didn’t want to scare him away. He just wanted him to stay. Maybe it wasn’t the time for more questions, maybe he should just make true on his promise and sing for him.

“I see.” He said thoughtfully. “That’s ok. Would you like me to sing?” He asked, figuring that music would be the easiest way to communicate with his new friend, for now. The creature perked up at that, he smiled at him brightly and nodded, obviously happy about the suggestion. Maybe he was also glad he wouldn’t have to speak any more for now, even the little bit he’d spoken had seemed incredibly taxing. Robert’s head was exploding with a million ideas on how to help him, how to teach him to speak, how to make it easier, but he pushed them away for now. 

Returning the smile, he picked up his guitar and put it on his knee, careful not to get the wood wet. He hesitated for a moment before starting to pluck the strings.

“This is something I wrote for someone very dear to me.” He explained, then he briefly closed his eyes and started singing.

“If the sun refused to shine  
I would still be loving you  
When mountains crumble to the sea  
There will still be you and me...”

When he looked back up, the merman had a look of utter delight on his face. He was curiously watching his fingers as he plucked the strings, then his face as he sung and he looked so full of joy to be witnessing this, it made Robert insanely happy in turn. He couldn’t help but notice that he was moving the fin at the end of his tail to the rhythm of Robert’s song, just like humans would tap their feet. It was very endearing. 

“Another?” He asked once he finished the song, earning himself another very eager nod. He chuckled to himself and paused briefly before deciding on another song, some old folk song this time. When that one was over, he just transitioned straight into the next one, he just didn’t want to stop. He couldn’t remember the last time he had such a captivated, fascinated audience, the way the merman was looking at him, the sheer delight with his music was very flattering. 

He seemed to relax more and more, trusting the human more with each song he played, but after a few more, he seemed to be getting very uncomfortable. Robert didn’t know what was wrong, maybe he wasn’t used to being on land for that long. The dark haired one then gestured towards the ocean with a sad look on his face.

“You have to go back?” Robert asked. The merman nodded slowly. “Alright. Will you come back next sunday? I’ll sing for you again, if you want.” He offer. He saw the other’s lips briefly forming the word ‘sunday’, albeit without a sound, then he nodded once more.

“Yes.” He said simply, then frowned as if he was trying to remember something. His face lit up, then, and he graced Robert with another one of those adorable, toothy smiles. “Thank. You.” He said. It sounded a little robotic, but Robert couldn’t have cared less, he was absolutely ecstatic that his new friend had enjoyed the music, that he’d trusted him enough to stay and sit with him. When he made to turn around to get back into the water, he paused, though, and turned back towards Robert with a worried expression on his face.

“What is it?” Robert prompted, hoping the other would somehow find the words to tell him. 

“Do not tell. About me. Promise.” He said slowly after wrecking his brain to put together that sentence in this, for him, very alien language, but Robert understood. He nodded solemnly.

“I promise. I won’t tell anyone, I swear. Nobody would believe me, anyways, even if I did. You’re safe.” He said. The merman looked relieved and smiled at him again, nodded once more, then pushed himself off of the ledge and into the water. He resurfaced briefly and waved at Robert before disappearing into the depths. 

The blonde stayed there for quite a while, just staring at the surface of the water. He felt odd, his brain felt empty as well as full of questions and awe at the same time. Some part of him still believed that he was going insane, but on the other hand, he knew very well that he wasn’t. He already couldn’t wait for next sunday, he had no idea how to get through the upcoming week!


	4. Same, same, but different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert finally meets the merman again and they have some time to talk. He learns a lot about his new friend, exciting as well as frightening things. They decide to meet again soon.

Just like he’d expected, the week went by incredibly slowly. He could hardly focus on work, neither on his dayjob in the office, nor on singing in the pub in the evening, although he did pour his heart out during those moments, singing with more passion than ever before, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the strange creature he’d met. He just couldn’t wait to see him again, ask him more questions, teach him to speak his language, even just to look at him.

When sunday finally came, Robert almost stumbled over his own feet on the way from his car to the shore, trying to get there as quickly as possible. To his utter disappointment, the merman wasn’t there yet when he made it behind the rock that hid them from curious eyes and he started fearing that he wouldn’t show up.

After a while, he picked up his guitar and started to play a few chords, but he didn’t get very far. When he looked up from the fretboard he’d been focusing on, he couldn’t help but grin widely, happy and excited to see his merman pulling himself up on the rocky shelf. 

He had an equally as excited expression on his face and greeted Robert by flashing his sharp teeth at him with a big smile. He looked a little different today than last time, Robert immediately noticed that he had pearls in his hair, as well as around his arms and the end of his tail, just above the large fin at the end. It was very pretty and Robert couldn’t help but wonder if he dressed up like that just for him? He didn’t know whether it was ok to ask or if the merman would be embarrassed, but he didn’t have time to ask either way.

“I pruck-ticked!” He said excitedly, immediately after coughing up some water and taking a deep breath, dragging himself closer to Robert with his arms. The blonde stared at him for a moment, not understanding what he was saying. “I pruckticked!” The merman repeated excitedly, gesturing, and Robert blinked at him again until it dawned on him.

“Oh! You practiced?” He asked and the other frowned briefly, then nodded.

“Yes. Yes. Practicked.” He said, then shook his head and tried again. “Practiced.” He finally got it right and beamed at Robert proudly. The human still didn’t quite know what he meant, but he was just utterly adorable, so he couldn’t help but smile at him.

“What did you practice?” He asked, then.

“Speaking. Your language.” He said eagerly. Robert noticed that his voice sounded less rough this time and it seemed to come a little easier to him, although he still didn’t know how to pronounce some words. 

“Oh, wow! How?” He said excitedly. He was still baffled that this creature actually knew how to talk to him, in his own language, yet Robert had no idea what he was dealing with. Sure, he didn’t sound like he’d ever actually spoken it before, he sounded more like someone who had only ever read a certain language and was now attempting to speak it for the very first time. It was a little difficult to understand him at times, but Robert did anyways, so that was ok. 

“Books. Sometimes, ships sink. Then there are shipwrecks. Sometimes, there are books. Many books.” He said. Now that made sense, he did actually learn by reading, so his pronunciation was off at times. He must have practiced *a lot*, though, if he got this good in just a week. 

“That is amazing! You’re really good already, considering you haven’t spoken this language before!” Robert praised, then laughed when the merman beamed at him happily. He just looked so proud and happy, it was endearing.

“We have recordings. But they are not good. Very old. But I listened.” He explained and Robert blinked at him in confusion once again.

“Recordings? Of humans, you mean?” He asked. The merman nodded.

“Yes. Very long ago, we had humans.” He clarified.

“Oh, I see.” Robert said. “Wait. What?” He frowned. “You *had* humans? Like... in captivity??” The creature blinked at him, then he nodded. “Wait. You... captured humans? For experiments or something?” Robert gasped.

“Yes. Not me. But we have captured humans, yes.” He confirmed and Robert shuddered. Of course these creatures weren’t innocent little angels, as much as this one looked like it, Robert thought. They were curious as well, they needed to know what they were dealing with, so they did what they had to do to find out. He shuddered again, thinking about those people who went missing after going for a swim and daring to go out too far. 

“How many?” He asked, looking down at his own hands. He felt bad asking about this, but he had to know.

“A few. I think 5.” The other said. “Long time ago. Before I hatched. We did not catch more. We just needed to know about humans. We meant no harm. We treated well. I promise.” 

“I understand. I don’t think you guys would have been so lucky if it had been the other way around.” Robert sighed. “Humans can be nasty. We tend to destroy everything. Kill everything.” He huffed. He’d always hated that part about humanity, despised it. The merman tilted his head, then shook it and smiled at him. 

“We are no different. We hunt, we use resources, we pollute, just like humans.” The other told him. “That net on my tail? Maybe not human, maybe one of our nets.” He shrugged. Robert’s eyes widened, he wouldn’t have thought that these people were just like humans, that they’d treat the ocean the way humans did, overfishing and polluting it.

“Really? You use those, too?” Robert asked, surprised. He would have thought these creatures to be more in touch with nature, especially the ocean, than them.

“Yes. Fish fewer now, not just because of humans. Pollution more, not just because of you. We have cities down there, with everything humans have, factories, much technology. We are guilty, too.” Robert shook his head at that, it was hard to imagine all of that. 

“But... but if that is true... the ocean should be yours. Only yours. We should stay away from it.” He argued. 

“The oceans very, very big. Much bigger than land, I believe. Enough room, if we all less greedy.” The sea creature said with a wistful look and Robert sighed. He’d rarely had such a deep conversation, let alone with someone he only just met a little while ago, someone who didn’t speak his language all that well. The creature seemed to learn very quickly, though, speaking this language, that was so foreign to him, already seemed to become easier for him.

“Yeah... you’re right, it’s so sad. We could be friends, we could benefit from each other, but you have to hide from us because we’re... well, we’re assholes, basically.” He shook his head. The other looked up at him, then he smiled a little.

“You also create beautiful things. I have seen pictures of your cities. I have heard you sing.” The creature said slowly. He’d calmed down a little now and was making more of an effort to speak in full sentences, Robert noticed. “That is what drew me here.” He really seemed to be getting more used to speaking this language and he was quickly catching up on how Robert pronounced certain words, so it started to sound a little more natural and it was getting easier to understand. The blonde grinned at him and laughed.

“Really? My singing? That’s funny.” He said.

“Why?”

“Well... we have tales about you guys. Some call you mermaids, merpeople... sometimes you’re called sirens... and some people believed you were creatures that lured sailors towards them by singing beautiful, strange songs, just to... well... eat them, I suppose.” He said, amused. 

The dark haired one stared at him with wide eyes for a moment and then... then he laughed, closing his eyes and throwing his head back in a joyful, full body laugh. It sounded very strange, but Robert supposed he’d never laughed on land before and it was different. The blonde thought it sounded beautiful.

“I assure you, I cannot sing and I have never eaten a human.” He said. “Do not want to. *You* are the siren, not me.” He added and gave Robert a toothy grin. Damn, those teeth were sharp, Robert thought with a tiny hint of fear at the sight of them. 

“Sounds like it. I promise I won’t eat you, though.” He said with a grin of his own. “So you... like my music? How long have you been listening to me?” He asked.

“A while. I believe you call it ‘months’...” The sea creature said and it occurred to Robert that they’d have an entire different system of keeping track of time, down there, without the sun and the moon they had up here. The other then looked down insecurely. “I am sorry if I intruded...” 

“No! Not at all! I don’t mind!” Robert said excitedly. “Do you have music down there?” 

“Of course. Although, is very different from your music.” He answered. “Wish I could show you, but maybe you can’t hear, in the water, not same we do.” 

“True... we are different.” Robert said, looking up at the other one. He couldn’t help but wonder what their music sounded like, though, if it was anything like whale song, maybe? He was sure it was beautiful, though. 

“I like that you sing about love and peace. I love your voice, beautiful.” He then said and Robert instantly felt flattered. He was used to getting compliments and praise for his voice, but coming from this beautiful creature, it felt like it counted more than any other he’d ever gotten. The other looked quite bashful and Robert was sure that if he were human, he would have blushed.

“Thank you... oh. By the way. This comb... did you mean to give that to me?” Robert asked, pulling it out of the pocket of his shorts. 

“Yes. To thank you for helping me... I could not come up there and say thank you, so I thought a little present...” He said, trailing off when he couldn’t find the right words and smiled at the blonde shyly. 

“That a gift would get the message across?” He said and the creature seemed to think about the saying for a moment, making a mental note about it, before nodding. “It did. It’s so beautiful... thank you.” Robert said, caressing the back of the comb gently with the tip of a finger appreciatively. 

“I was scared when you came to me... but it was the first time I saw you. I only heard your voice, before... I thought how beautiful your hair is. It is just like the sun. So I wanted to give you something to help you care for it.” The dark haired one said slowly, with difficulty, and Robert blinked at him in surprise. This utterly breathtaking creature thought that HIS hair was beautiful?? “I apologize... did I offend? I do not know all of your cultural norms.” The creature asked when he noticed Robert’s look, a fearful expression gracing his features briefly. Now Robert could definitely tell he was actually blushing, it just looked different than it would on a human because of the green tinge of his skin. But his cheeks had darkened a little and he looked very shy again. It was adorable.

“What? No! No, not at all, it’s fine... I just... I’m surprised you like my hair... it’s not much...” Robert said, feeling a little self-conscious. His hair was particularly frizzy again thanks to them being so close to the water. 

“Oh, but it is lovely. None of us have hair like the sun.” He explained. “Or hair like waves.” 

“Curls, you mean?” Robert asked and the creature nodded. “Would you like to touch it?” He offered. He wasn’t quite sure if that was ok or not, he had no idea what these people considered offensive or too much, so he’d just have to take a risk. 

“May I?” The other asked curiously, sitting up on his tail a little to lean closer to Robert, obviously delighted by the offer. The blonde smiled widely and nodded, glad to see that the other one was just as curious about him. He got up from where he was sitting and went over to the rock the creature was sitting on. Since he was wearing shorts and it was warm enough, he decided to just sit down in the water with him. 

The creature looked just a little spooked by having him so close suddenly, close enough to touch, but he seemed to trust him enough not to bail on him. When he raised his hand to touch Robert’s hair, he noticed the blonde curiously looking at his fingers and paused, letting him look his fill. He had long fingers with long, pointy nails and indeed, there was slightly see through webbing between each finger. It was fascinating to Robert and he couldn’t help but stare, but the other didn’t seem to mind, he lowered his hand and turned it a bit so Robert could look at it some more. There were little fins just along his knuckles and several of the beautiful scales on the back of his hand and up his forearm as well. 

Robert slowly raised his own hand, carefully, and when the creature didn’t pull back, he gently touched his hand, lightly holding it in his own. He had already touched his tail when he’d helped him with the net, so touching his hand shouldn’t be a problem, right? He jumped a little at how cold it was.

“Oh, you’re so cold.” He gasped.

“And you are warm.” The other answered with a little smile, then raised his other hand to touch Robert’s hair. His eyes widened and his lips formed a little ‘o’ as he felt the texture of Robert’s dry, curly hair, then his gaze fell back on Robert’s hand that was still holding his, and up towards his arm. He carefully touched the blonde’s wrist and then the hair on his forearm and it occurred to Robert that that was new to him, too, he didn’t seem to have hair anywhere but his head. 

“Will you tell your friends that you touched a human?” Robert asked with a grin. The creature blinked at him in disbelief.

“If I want to go to jail for high treason, I will, yes.” He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Apparently, just like smiling, that one was a universal thing as well. “This is against all of our laws.”

“Oh shit... I had no idea.” Robert gasped. “I don’t want you to get in trouble!”

“Nobody will find out. It is fine.” He said, slowly lowering his hand from where he’d been feeling Robert’s hair. “I have been coming here for a while and nobody knows. People do not mind me much, I am quiet and keep to myself, mostly, so they do not really wonder where I disappear to.”

“Alright... just... stay safe, ok? How long does it take for you to come up here?” Robert asked. The creature shrugged.

“A while. I leave just before sunrise, to get here by the time you start singing.” He said.

“Oh wow... do you just swim or do you have... like... a vehicle of some sort?” Robert asked curiously. Ever since the creature had mentioned them having all sorts of technologies, he’d been trying to guess what that might be. He couldn’t help but feel incredibly flattered that this merman went through all that trouble just to listen to him.

“We do have vehicles, but I could not risk using one, they never leave our shielded cities, so I swim by myself.” He explained.

“Shielded cities?” Robert asked curiously.

“Yes, our cities have shields... force fields. They keep everything outside, like predators, and they prevent humans from seeing us. They also help with the pressure.” Robert’s eyes widened and he gasped, he had no idea these people were so technologically advanced.

“Bloody hell, that is so cool! I wished you could show me, somehow...” He sighed. 

“I wished I could see your world, too. More of it, I mean. I already have a slight advantage over you.” The creature said with another little smile.

“Right. You can breathe up here, I can’t breathe under water.” Robert said sadly. “I mean, there’s diving gear, I suppose. How come you can breathe up here?”

“We used to live closer to the shore, before we had to... hide further down in the ocean.” He explained. “That was hundreds, if not thousands of your human years ago, but we never lost the ability.”

“Oh... I suppose that is our fault.” Robert sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“That happened way before either of us was alive. Don’t apologize.” His new friend said and gave his hand a friendly little squeeze. Robert looked down at their hands for a moment, he had almost forgotten that they were still touching. The creature’s cool hand had warmed up a little in his own.

“I guess... hey, earlier, you said you... hatched? Did I get that right?” Robert asked curiously. The corners of the other’s eyes crinkled as he smiled.

“Yes. I hatched from an egg. That must be strange to you.” He said. He looked very amused at Robert’s curiosity, even though he didn’t know just *how* curious the human was. He wanted to ask all kinds of questions, but they’d probably be rude and invasive and he didn’t want to make his new friend uncomfortable in any way. They seemed to be so much like humans, but in other ways, they were so very different, he wondered how exactly that worked. Were they mammals that laid eggs, like platypuses? Or were they not mammals at all, were they just like fish? He decided not to ask about that right now, though.

“To be honest, it sounds a lot less messy than what our poor women have to go through.” Robert said with a grimace and the creature laughed again. Even his laughter started to sounds more natural now that he was getting more and more used to talking this way.

“It is. Less painful, too, I believe. We are most definitely the superior species.” The dark haired one said playfully and Robert grinned at him. He loved how he was getting more playful and cheeky now that he was more at ease around the blonde. The slightly archaic language he was using, what he’d learned from books, was actually quite charming and Robert enjoyed talking to him.

“I can’t argue with that.” He said. He looked down and his gaze fell on the other’s beautiful, scaly tail. “Oh, by the way... when I helped you out of that net... you err... kinda lost... a scale? I picked it up and took it home.” He admitted. “I hope that’s not too weird? I thought it was so beautiful.” The merman blushed again, his cheeks darkening, and he looked down bashfully.

“Oh. It is fine. It is a little personal, I suppose. Think of it like you humans sometimes carry locks of hair in lockets around your neck?” The creature said. “We sometimes do this with loved one’s scales. Like pendants.” 

“I see... well, I could give you a lock of my hair.” Robert smiled. 

“I would love that but... if somebody found it, I would be in trouble.” He answered and looked down sadly. 

“True.” Robert sighed. When he looked back up at his new friend, he smiled. “Your hair is drying.” 

“Oh. Oh no.” The creature gasped. “My gills are drying up, too, I can feel it... I should go back.” He said sadly.

“You have gills?” Robert asked, his eyes widening almost comically. The other sat up and raised his arms a little. Robert gasped as he saw the red lines and ridges along his ribcage, it blew his mind just how different his new friend was and yet, so very much like him at the same time. Of course he had gills, he had to breathe somehow down there. “Woah! That’s neat!” He commented and the other laughed again, sitting back down normally again. 

“It is useful, too, if you live down there.” He said and smiled at Robert. “Will you be here again next... I think you call it Sunday?” He asked. The blonde nodded, delighted that he wanted to see him again.

“Yes! Of course!” He said eagerly. “Hey... I need something to call you... a name I can actually say, I mean.” Robert said.

“So give me one. A human name.” The other prompted and Robert thought about it for a moment.

“This is difficult... what if you don’t like it?? I’m not good at naming people!” Robert huffed. 

“I am sure I will like it... Robert.” The creature said and the blonde shivered at the way he pronounced his name, it sounded so foreign and new. Robert studied him for a moment, tilting his head and sighing. It was difficult to come up with something, he didn’t want it to be too weird, just a normal name, maybe something cute...

“You look like a Jimmy. I will call you Jimmy.” He decided and watched the corners of the other’s eyes crinkle again as he smiled widely. 

“I do like it.” He said. “I have a human name now! What did you say earlier? That is... cool? Neat?” He tried using the new expressions he’d heard the human use earlier and Robert nodded, grinning widely at how quickly his new friend was catching up, learning new phrases. 

“Yes! It really is!” He agreed. “Well... see you next sunday. I can’t wait.” He said. In all honesty, he was sad that his time with Jimmy was already coming to an end, especially since he hadn’t gotten to sing for him this time, but they had been talking for a long time and he did understand that it was getting uncomfortable for the sea creature to spend that much time on land. Speaking was probably tiring as well and he had a long swim before him to make it back home. He would have some more time to ask him more questions, or answer some of Jimmy’s next week. 

“See you soon.” Jimmy answered and reluctantly let go of Robert’s hand. He studied him for a little longer before finally pushing himself off of the rock and into the ocean. Robert looked after him for as long as he could, but Jimmy quickly disappeared in the depths with just a few quick swishes of his tail. 

Robert climbed his usual rock and sat in the sun until his pants were dry, thinking about everything he’d just learned. It was mind blowing that there were merpeople down there as it was, but that they were such a technologically advanced species was... almost scary. Shielded cities sounded like something straight out of a sci-fi novel and he thought it was so cool. He couldn't wait to learn about that, he couldn’t wait for Jimmy to show him things from his world. 

He wondered if these people were more intelligent than humans. With how quickly the merman had caught on to the way Robert was speaking, going from his very wonky english to complete sentences within like two hours, it was very likely. He made a mental note to ask him about those humans they’d captured as well. Maybe Jimmy had more information about that, he really wanted to know what they did to them. He’d promised they’d treated them well, but Robert still wondered just what they did, how they kept them down there.

It was still hard to believe all of this was real, but then again, Robert had always loved to get lost in fantasy novels with all sorts of creatures, learning that at least one of those was actually real... he wondered what else there was in the world they didn’t know about.


	5. Trash and trinkets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert can't wait to see Jimmy again to show him all kinds of stuff, music and photos, things he might find interesting. He gathers everything he can to show the merman, hoping he will get to see some of the other's things, too. Luckily, Jimmy doesn't disappoint.

This week seemed to go by even more slowly than the last one. Seeing Jimmy again was all Robert could think about, now that they could actually talk and the merman was improving rapidly, he had so many questions to ask, he wanted to show him so many things. He wanted to sing for him and watch him looking at him that way he had the first time again. He’d never felt so appreciated as he had in that very moment.

He hoped the questions he had wouldn’t be too much, he was afraid of somehow offending his new friend and making him leave. They were completely different after all, a different species, different people, a different culture. Something that would be normal to Robert may well be offensive to the merman and Robert would have no idea. So far he hadn’t run into anything like that, but he could never be sure.

Being at a disadvantage like that, namely the merman already knowing a lot about humans while Robert knew next to nothing about his counterpart, made him a tad bit uncomfortable and worried. He just really didn’t want to mess up and ruin it all, but then again, Jimmy seemed to be very smart, maybe he’d know and wouldn’t judge Robert too harshly if he did mess up after all. 

Towards the middle of the week, the singer started to wonder what on earth he could show the merman that he didn’t already know and, more importantly, *how* to show him. On his way home from work, he spotted a newspaper stand. All the colorful magazines immediately drew his attention and he found himself wandering over there, checking them out. This may be the best way to show him as much about humans as possible without actually taking him here, Robert thought to himself. 

He sighed when he saw the prices of the magazines, but he still picked up as many as he could afford right now. He wasn’t completely broke, it wasn’t like that, but he wasn’t at a point where he could just splurge on stuff like that easily, either. He had to pay rent after all, he had to eat, but this was well worth it. 

He picked up two music magazines, the Rolling Stone, and the other one about classical music, he chose a cooking magazine and one about home decoration and DIY, a gardening one and one aimed at women, with all sorts of stuff about beauty, hair, even about love and men. The bloke behind the counter raised an eyebrow at him, but Robert ignored it. Luckily, he didn’t comment, or he may just have given him a piece of his mind, it was none of his business after all. 

Pleased with his haul, he put the magazines into the trunk of his car and drove home. The next day, he added a portable cassette player as well as some cassettes and some extra batteries. He really prefered vinyl, of course, but the cassette player was the only portable one he had so it’d have to do, he couldn’t afford to spend any more money for now.

By sunday morning, Robert’s car was filled with all sorts of things he wanted to show Jimmy, stuff he cared about, little trinkets, jewellery, older magazines and books he found at home, even an old photo album with awful, black and white pictures of him as a kid. There were a few newer photos as well, some in color even. Well, they were mostly orange and sepia, but that was color, wasn’t it? He added some polaroids of him and his friends they’d taken the last time they hung out and got high and drunk together. Some of them were a little embarrassing, but they were honest, Robert thought. A picture of him and Bonzo holding on to each other for balance at they sang together, dick fucking drunk, made him smile. It must have sounded awful, he thought, but in the moment, it had been fun.

On his drive to the shore, Robert started wondering if Jimmy would bring stuff to show him, as well. He sincerely hoped so, he was incredibly curious about everything going on down there. He wanted to know what their cities looked like, he wanted to know what Jimmy’s home might be like, what other merpeople looked like. Did they have media like humans did? Records, radio, the telly? He couldn’t wait to ask.

When he arrived, he groaned when he realized he’d have to carry all of this behind the rocks and on the cliff where he’d sat with Jimmy the last time. He’d brought a lot of stuff after all. He crammed as much as he could into his backpack and the rest of it into two other bags he carried, one on each side. As he crawled behind the rock, he almost slipped and fell on his back, but he just so managed to keep his balance. If he had fallen, he would have ruined the cassette player, so he was all the more relieved. 

Only a few seconds after he finished setting down his bags and the backpack, he already heard the, by now, familiar splashing sound and turned around with a wide smile. He waited for Jimmy to spit out the water and beam right back at him widely before greeting him.

“Good Morning! You’re right on time!” He said cheerfully. Jimmy nodded and dragged himself closer towards the blonde.

“Yes! Good Morning! I could not wait to see you again!” He said excitedly. Robert couldn't help but notice that he was panting slightly. He’d actually made it here earlier than the past two times, so either he left earlier, or he must have hurried, swimming much quicker than usually. Robert tilted his head curiously as he looked at him.

This time, he seemed to be wearing even more pearls, in his hair, around his arms, around his tail... some strings with pearls and sea shells even seemed to be dangling between the fins on his tail. When he looked closer, he could see that they were attached to the fins, through little holes, like earrings. It was very pretty, he thought, but he couldn't help but wonder if it hurt, getting that done. He only had one of his ears pierced and he had been pretty drunk when he’d gotten it done. He wondered if there was a special occasion or if maybe, just maybe, the merman wanted to impress him or something, getting ‘dressed up’ like that.

To his utter delight, Jimmy had also brought something. It was just a single, small bag that he’d carried slung over shoulder, but it still made Robert incredibly happy and excited to see. The merman kept it in the shallow water on the other rock, though, so he couldn't see what it was. 

“I couldn’t wait, either.” He admitted, inching a little closer as well. It was another beautiful summer day, luckily, and he wouldn’t mind sitting in the water, either. Maybe he could even go for a swim with the merman. “I... err, I brought some stuff, to, you know, show you. I hope you don’t mind.” He stammered, then, feeling a little self-conscious about bringing so much while the other had only brought a single bag. This time, it was Jimmy tilting his head and blinking at him curiously.

“Mind? No! I am so excited!” He said. Robert could tell he’d been practicing more. He dragged himself even closer to get a better look at the bags the blonde had placed on the floor. “What did you bring?” He asked curiously, then he paused and his cheeks darkened. “I am sorry. I did not mean to be rude. How are you doing?” He then asked bashfully, and Robert couldn’t help but laugh. The merman had probably been reading up on human social conventions and rules and feared he’d made a huge mistake.

“Awww... it’s alright. It’s ok to be curious! I’m fine, how are you?” He asked with a little wink. Jimmy looked at his face curiously, then tried to mimic the gesture. Robert struggled not to laugh, it looked strange on him, kind of like he was having a seizure. Apparently, winking wasn’t something merpeople did. 

“Me too.” He said softly and smiled again. “I like sundays.” He added and his cheeks darkened again. The fins along his tail flared ever so slightly. Robert wanted that to mean ‘I like you’. He didn’t quite know why, but he really wanted it to. Maybe it did. He didn’t know what to make of the merman’s bashfulness, the ‘blushing’, the jewellery...

“So do I...” He said slowly, still staring at the merman in front of him. Before it actually got embarrassing, he managed to shake himself out of it and turned towards the bags. “Well, as you can see, I brought a lot of stuff! First of all, I brought a record player! We can listen to some music, if you want!” He said and fished out the cassette player as well as the tapes. Jimmy’s eyes widened and his tail twitched excitedly, fins flaring again, more than before, as he saw the things the blonde just took out.

“Oh! Yes! Please!” He said eagerly. It was the most adorable thing, he was so excited he could barely contain himself. Robert supposed that if he’d been in the water, he’d be swimming circles around Robert in his excitement. He was glad he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. He grinned at Jimmy and picked one of the tapes, putting it in and pressing the play button. He brought a few different things, some jazz, some blues, some rock, and he started with the softest, most gentle blues he had, wanting to ease Jimmy into it gently. 

“I hope you like it. I can still sing for you, too, if you like, my guitar is in my car.” Robert said. Jimmy looked up from where he’d been staring at the cassette player and it took him a moment to figure out ‘guitar’ and ‘car’. He moved his lips like he was saying the words, not making a sound, then he nodded.

They sat in silence for a while as they listened to the music. Jimmy looked utterly fascinated, enchanted, like he was in a trance, and it didn’t take long for him to start moving his tail to the rhythm of the music again, just like when Robert had played for him. The blonde was more fascinated with Jimmy and the way he reacted to the music than with anything else, of course. After a while, the dark haired one looked up at him and smiled widely.

“This is beautiful. Thank you so much.” He said warmly.

“You’re welcome. I brought some other stuff, too, would you like to see?” He then asked and Jimmy nodded. 

Robert put the player on the rock, right up against the cliff so it wouldn’t get wet, and let it play, then grabbed one of the bags. It was the one that had the magazines and some of his things from back home. He took out the magazines and put them on his lap, upside down so Jimmy could see the pictures. He knew the merman could read human languages, so he wouldn’t only be looking at the pictures, Robert guessed.

“What are these? Books?” Jimmy asked curiously. 

“Well... kind of? They’re magazines, they have a lot of pictures... I thought they’d be great to show you, so you can see what everything looks like while you read about it!” Robert explained. Jimmy reached out to open the first magazine that was resting on the blonde’s lap. It happened to be the DIY one and he opened it on a page that showed a man building something in the backyard of a large house. He was working on a piece of wood with a small saw. The text next to the images explained that he was apparently building a gazebo. When Jimmy flipped the page and saw the finished one, he squealed in delight.

“Oh, this is beautiful!” He said happily. He flipped more pages and Robert sat back, just watching him taking everything in. He took another magazine, the cooking magazine, and looked at the food. Robert could tell he wanted to ask questions. “This is so much... I want to look at everything, read everything...” He sighed.

“Hmm... we can keep them up here, behind the rock, and you can come here and look at them whenever you want?” Robert suggested. “I’d let you take them along, but... you’d get into trouble or something... and the water would just destroy them anyways.” He said. Jimmy nodded sadly and his tail stopped moving, drooping sadly into the water just off the rock he was sitting on. Robert immediately decided that he didn’t like that, not one one bit. He wanted him to be happy.

“I know. I could prepare them so they are fine in the water, but it takes time...” He sighed. “And I don’t have my tools and chemicals here.” He added sadly. Robert looked up at him curiously.

“Tools? Chemicals? You know how to do that?” He asked. “I’m sorry if I’m being too curious, but... what do you do, for a living, I mean? Do merpeople have... jobs?” He asked, feeling dumb. To his relief, Jimmy smiled at him and nodded.

“Of course we do!” He said happily. “I am... you could call me a scientist.” He said slowly. “Anthropologist is the word you would use, I think.” He added and Robert’s eyes widened. 

“Oh! Well, that explains a lot!” He quipped. “That’s why you knew so much about humans! That’s why you speak my language!” He said. “So, not all merpeople are like you?” Jimmy shook his head.

“No. I am one of the few left, actually. Interest in humans in dwindling, since you are no longer a threat to us. Most of us don’t know much about humans anymore, let alone speak or read your languages.” He sighed. “My job is not as exciting as I thought it would be when I started. Mostly, they send me out to find human things on the ocean floor and bring them back to the institute or they make me translate old books.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Robert sighed. “I know what that’s like. I spend most of my days in an office, too. It’s incredibly boring. But then, as soon as I get out of there, I get to go to the bar and make music!” He said. Jimmy’s tail perked up at that and he beamed at Robert.

“I have two jobs, as well!” He said. “When I get home, I make jewellery and combs, to sell them.” He added. 

“What?? Does that mean YOU made that absolutely gorgeous comb you gave me??” Robert asked. When Jimmy nodded, looking very proud indeed, he couldn’t help but feel that it was even more precious now. “Wow. Thank you, again. I love it so, so much.” 

“You are welcome.” Jimmy said slowly. “I am so glad you like it. I can make more for you! Your hair would look so beautiful with some pearl or sea shell accessoires.” 

“Oh... wow. You don’t have to...” Robert said. This time, it was him that was blushing. Jimmy studied him carefully.

“Do you really not want me to or... are you embarrassed?” He asked, unable to figure Robert out. 

“I guess... I don’t want you to feel like you have to. I mean... I can’t pay you, I don’t even know your currency...” Robert mumbled. Jimmy just smiled.

“I do not take money from friends.” He said softly. “We are friends, are we not?” 

“Yes! Yes, of course...” Robert said.

“You did not charge me for the songs you played me the first time we met.” Jimmy then said.

“True.” Robert mused. “I could play some more for you, if you actually want to make jewellery for me. That way, I wouldn’t feel like I’m exploiting you or something.” He laughed. 

“You are not ‘exploiting’ me. I am offering.” Jimmy said with another shy smile. He then reached up into his own hair, taking out one of the strings of pearls. He sat up a little and motioned for Robert to come closer, then carefully clipped it into the human’s hair. “There. For you.”

“Thank you...” Robert said, blinking at the other’s face that was now way closer to his own. Jimmy smelled like fresh, salty ocean water and Robert *liked* it. A lot. He’d given him yet another gift and the singer felt like he had nothing to offer him in turn, but it didn’t seem like the merman felt that way. “I... I brought some pictures, from home, too. My home, my friends, my family... would you like to see?” He then offered. 

“Yes! Please! I brought pictures, too! I can show you my home, too!” Jimmy quipped excitedly. Robert glanced at the small bag curiously. “I brought my... hm, what can I call it in your language? I suppose you could call it a computer.” He said. 

Robert frowned. Computers were much, much bigger than that and the only images they could show were monochrome or letters. Then it occurred to him that these folks were much more technologically advanced than them and he got very excited, curious to get the first glimpse at that.

“Oh, so it’s a “you show me yours, I’ll show you mine” kind of deal?” Robert grinned. Jimmy smiled and nodded.

“Yes! Exactly!” He said. The innuendo had gone right over his head and Robert wondered whether that had something to do with him being a merman or if Jimmy was just naive and innocent. He almost felt bad for talking to him like that, but since he hadn’t even caught it, it didn’t really matter, he thought. 

“Well, I guess I’ll start.” Robert said and took the other bag. Of course he was curious to see the ‘computer’ and pictures of Jimmy’s home, but since he brought this up, he should be the one starting, right? He quickly changed the cassette when it ended before taking out the photo album he brought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The absolutely wonderfully talented marauderofworlds has come up with some amazing fanart for this story! They have somehow managed to draw exactly what I imagined in my mind when I was writing the previous chapters!  
Please check out their artwork on their blog marauderofworlds.tumblr.com, or you can jump right to the posts with the artwork here:
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/marauderofworlds/188689862182  
and  
https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/marauderofworlds/188454484252
> 
> Thank you so much! :D
> 
> For the next chapter, we'll find out how Jimmy reacts to seeing baby Robert and we'll get to find out more about the merpeople, too!


	6. Images

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert shows Jimmy pictures of his friends and his family. In turn, he finally gets to see Jimmy's, as well as a little glimpse into his world under the sea. They share stories and experiences, getting to know each other more.

Jimmy leaned in closer and Robert sat down right next to him, his thigh almost touching the other’s tail. When he opened the photo album, the polaroids from the latest ‘party’ threatened to fall out. Jimmy quickly reached out and caught them, immediately turning them over in his hands to look at them curiously.

“Oh! These must be your friends!” He said excitedly, squinting at the small, square photograph. It was a picture of Bonzo and one of the girls they frequently hung out with, Jenny. They were both beaming at the camera, Bonzo holding a bottle of beer, Jenny with a glass of wine. In the lower right corner, there was a blur of hair, somebody had been dancing and accidentally gotten into the frame, Robert remembered.

“Yeah, that’s my best friend, Bonzo.” He explained, pointing at the man in the picture. “And a friend of ours, Jenny. We had a bit of a party, you know, hanging out, listening to music, getting drunk...” He explained. Jimmy nodded absentmindedly as he switched to the next polaroid in the stack, a picture of the room in Bonzo’s basement where he had a little bar, an expensive hi-fi system and colorful lights. There were a bunch of people were just dancing, standing around and talking, drinking, smoking, some couples were making out on a sofa or just in the corner of the room. Robert had taken the picture to capture the overall feel of the party and while the quality wasn’t very good, he thought it did a good job of that.

Jimmy was studying the picture, trying to take everything in. It was impossible for Robert to discern what he may be thinking, but judging by the way his tail was twitching excitedly, there was quite a lot going on inside his head. He desperately wanted to know what exactly, but he didn’t want to disturb or annoy him by asking, either. After a while, the merman raised his head to look at Robert and smiled. 

“I am sorry I was silent. This is so... I have studied humans for so long... seeing this is very interesting. It is not in the books we found.” He explained. Robert chuckled.

“What, did you think we’re super stuck up and boring, based on books?” He asked, amused.

“No... no. We knew humans socialize, of course... but it is very hard to research how exactly without... observing it first hand. And we could not do that, of course. We know so much about humans, but this is one of the few things we do not know much about.” He explained. 

“Didn’t you say you had humans, at some point? Couldn’t you observe that with them?” Robert asked curiously. Jimmy shook his head.

“Humans in captivity don’t behave like free ones.” He said. Robert swallowed thickly, then nodded. Of course. They would have been scared, terrified even. Thinking about it made him shudder and Jimmy glanced at him quickly, then looked down. “I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you.”

“No, it’s ok... you did say you treated them well.” Robert sighed.

“From what I read about it, yes. As I told you, that happened way, way before I hatched.” Jimmy said with a little sigh. “I much prefer this kind of... research.”

“Yeah... me, too. It’s more of a... mutual learning about each other kind of thing.” Robert said. The dark haired one nodded and gave him a tentative smile before looking back down at the polaroids. He started laughing when he found one of Robert with a lampshade on his head, dancing in the middle of the room, a bottle in one hand, a joint in the other. 

“Is this you? What are you doing?” Jimmy asked. Robert felt himself flushing and cleared his throat. He didn’t actually remember that happening, but there was photographic evidence, apparently.

“I was... err... dancing, I suppose. I guess I thought it would be funny to put a lampshade on my head? I don’t know, ok? I was drunk. And high!” He explained, defending himself.

“Drunk? High?” Jimmy asked in confusion, blinking up at him with those big, green eyes. 

“Well... oh dear, how do I explain this...” Robert mused. “There’s this stuff we like to drink, it’s called alcohol, it makes us feel really good, it gets us ‘drunk’. It makes you all dizzy and happy and you don’t really care about anything, you know?” He tried. “The downside is that you feel really bad the next day if you have too much.”

“Ah. We have something like that, too, yes.” Jimmy nodded with a smile. “High?” He then prompted when Robert didn’t immediately carry on with his explanation, having gotten distracted by the beautiful, iridescent shift of some of Jimmy’s jewellery. He quickly shook himself out of it.

“Well, see that thing in my other hand? It’s something I like to smoke, it’s a plant called marijuana, we usually call it weed or pot. Way better than alcohol, doesn’t make you feel awful the next day. It gets you all relaxed and happy. Sometimes I get a little silly when I’ve had some, though, especially when there’s also alcohol involved.” He explained. Realization dawned on Jimmy’s face.

“Oh, so it is a drug!” He said. 

“Yes. Do you have drugs down there, too?” Robert asked curiously, surprised that Jimmy would know about that. The merman nodded.

“Yes. There are a few plants that we use in that way, too.” He said slowly and Robert thought he was blushing again. “The most... well, popular one, though, is the toxin released by a certain fish. It is very dangerous, deadly even, but in very, very small doses...” He added.

“Oh! I’ve read about that, it’s called a puffer fish, or at least we call it that.” Robert said excitedly. “Dolphins get high on those, too.” He grinned, then flinched at the glare the merman shot him.

“Yes. They do.” He said curtly and Robert bit his lip. Apparently, dolphins were a touchy subject and he didn’t quite dare to ask why. 

“Uhm. Did you ever try it?” He asked instead, surprised to find Jimmy’s face darkening even more as he blushed again.

“I... yes.” He mumbled, uncomfortable. “Once. It did not end well.” Robert thought he was adorable, how shy he was, but now he was also terribly curious as to what happened.

“Oh dear. What did you do?” He asked with a grin. Jimmy made a little sound and hid his face behind his hands. 

“Oh, it is embarrassing! I cannot tell you!” He sighed dramatically. That only made Robert even more curious, he HAD to know what happened.

“Come on! You saw me dancing with a lampshade on my head, what could be worse than that??” He argued. Jimmy glanced at him and sighed again. 

“It is much worse, trust me.” He said. He seemed to contemplate whether or not to tell the story, then he shrugged, throwing caution to the wind, and started speaking again. “I almost fathered a brood of hatchlings.” He then said in a small voice.

It took Robert a moment to understand what that meant, but when he did, he finally knew why the merman was blushing so much. Now it actually made sense. Jimmy was so shy and reserved and Robert was pretty sure he was always like that, not just with him, so it would be a big deal for him to act like that.

“No way! You’re so quiet and shy!” Robert gasped. Jimmy nodded, still hiding his face. In Robert’s group of friends that had actually happened a few times, people getting drunk and ending up with kids, so it wasn’t a big deal for him, but maybe it was different for merpeople, or maybe just for Jimmy in particular. 

“Yes. The drug changed me, completely, I acted so different from my usual self! I did not recognize myself!” He said. “The worst part was...” He trailed off and sighed.

“What?” Robert prompted gently.

“The worst part was that she was underage, it happened at her parents home, her father caught us and... well, it did not end well for me.” He mumbled. Robert bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing.

“Seriously, mate? You got high with an underage girl, *at her parents place*, and tried to sleep with her?? How could you think that that was a good idea?? Did you KNOW she was underage?” He asked. He didn’t know why he was surprised that merpeople had age of consent laws, too, but he was. Jimmy sighed again and nodded.

“I did. I mean... she was almost of age, just not quite. She was just a few cycles younger than me. The drug made me not care about that, though. It also made me not care about possibly fertilizing her eggs.” Jimmy said, still unable to look at Robert. 

The blonde pondered that phrasing for a moment, it felt awfully weird to put it like that, but then he remembered that it was indeed quite different for merpeople. They didn’t get pregnant, like humans. He was terribly curious as to how exactly that worked, but Jimmy was already so embarrassed, he couldn’t possibly ask about that. At least not yet. 

“Well... you didn’t and I suppose you learned from your mistakes.” He said gently instead and gave the other an encouraging little smile.

“Oh, I did. I am staying away from this drug, far, far away. I am not ready for hatchlings of my own.” Jimmy said. “I am usually very careful when it comes to that.” So he wasn’t as innocent and naive as Robert had initially thought.

“Ah, so you... err... use protection?” Robert asked carefully, hoping that maybe the merman would tell him a little more about that. It also struck him that he had no idea how old Jimmy was.

“Yes.” Jimmy said simply, much to the human’s disappointment, without elaborating. Robert would have to work up the courage and ask him about it at some point. 

“Well, it’s really not that bad, you know. It happens all the time, at least with us humans. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened to me yet, I’ve been quite reckless myself, at times.” He admitted. “But, just like you, I’m really not ready for kids yet. How old are you, by the way?” He asked. Jimmy turned his head to look at him and smiled.

“I have seen 156 cycles. That does not tell you much, does it?” He asked. Robert shook his head. 

“What is a cycle? How long is one of those your cycles? I mean, in a measurement I can relate to.” He asked. Jimmy thought about it for a moment. 

“Well. Since we cannot see the moon or the sun down where we live, we used to measure time by the temperature of different ocean currents. They change ever so slightly with the seasons up here and the tides, regularly enough for us to measure time that way. It has changed now, due to the planet heating up, changes in the magnetic field of the planet and all that, but we still use the old cycles.” Jimmy started to explain. 

“Oh! So... a different city of merpeople would have a different way of telling the time than yours because they had different currents?” Robert asked curiously. That was interesting and finally managed to distract him from the other thing he was so desperately curious about but was too afraid to ask about.

“Yes! Exactly. We all use the same now, though. It is much easier.” He said. 

“Kind of like we have time zones...” Robert mused and Jimmy nodded. “I still have no clue how old you are.” He then laughed. 

“Well. A cycle is roughly two human months.” Jimmy said, leaving it up to Robert to do the math.

“Ah... so... there would be... like... 6 cycles in a year, right? That would make you... roughly 26 years old? Hey, we’re almost the same age, I’m 25!” He said excitedly. Of course he’d has a suspicion that they were pretty much the same age, but he couldn’t be sure, after all merpeople might age differently than humans did for all he knew. 

“True.” Jimmy said with a timid little smile. “Would you like to see me as a hatchling?” He then asked. Robert nodded eagerly, he couldn’t wait to see whatever Jimmy wanted to show him. The merman reached for the little pouch he’d brought and pulled it closer. “I do not know if our technology functions properly on land, so I am going to keep it in the water, you will have to come a little closer.” He said. 

Curiously Robert scooted closer, his pants were already wet so it really didn’t matter. Jimmy pulled a black, rectangular thing out of the pouch, keeping it just underneath the surface of the water that was covering the ledge they sat on. It didn’t look like much and Robert didn’t understand how on earth it was supposed to show him anything, but then the merman pressed a little button and the thing came to life. A colorful screen appeared, greeting Jimmy in a writing that Robert had never seen before and couldn’t decipher. His jaw dropped.

“Woah! That is so cool! Bloody hell!” He gasped. The merman grinned at him and held the ‘computer’ as close to the surface as possible so Robert could see. His fingers then danced across the screen and every touch made different things pop up faster than Robert’s brain could even register. Soon, a screen with many little photos was visible and Jimmy quickly found the one he wanted to show to the human. 

“I was about 7 or 8 cycles old here.” He said. The blonde stared at the screen in disbelief. The picture was hands down the most adorable thing he’d ever seen in his entire life. There he was, just floating there, grinning happily at the camera, that same toothy smile Robert already knew, although his teeth were much smaller. His hair was short, floating just above his head in an adorable little tuft, he had chubby little arms and round cheeks. His tail looked very short and stubby, he was just the cutest little thing.

“Oh. My. God.” Robert breathed. “You were SO adorable! So bloody cute! Look at that hair! Your tail looks so short! Bloody hell, I can’t deal with that level of cuteness!” He gushed. Jimmy blushed and laughed.

“Aren’t all little ones... ‘cute’?” He asked. Robert gave him a look and raised an eyebrow.

“Let me show you something.” He said and sat back up a little to reach for the photo album he’d discarded earlier. He flipped through the pages until he found the picture he was looking for. “Would you call this cute??” He asked.

“Oh. Oh, well. You look... a little upset?” Jimmy guessed, blinking at the picture Robert was showing him. It was an old black and white picture of baby Robert, with his big, bald head, huge cheeks and... a face like thunder. He was frowning like a grown man. “You were still cute, too!” 

The quality of this picture was actually better than the recent polaroids even though it was from 1948. His parents hadn’t had their own camera back then, of course, so they’d taken their new baby to a professional photographer and... well, baby Robert hadn’t been amused. Jimmy laughed when he told him the story, then pointed to the other page of the album.

“Your parents?” He asked. Robert nodded.

“Yeah, that’s Mum and Dad...” He said, smiling at the old picture of his parents. “Do you have pictures of yours?”

“I do... yes.” Jimmy said and started touching the screen of the device he held in his hands again until he pulled up a picture of two other merpeople. The man was holding the woman close and ruffling her hair, making her laugh. He had the same green tail Jimmy had, his mother’s tail was lighter and less vibrant in color, a pale beige and both of their hair was just as dark as Jimmy’s. They looked very happy and, as far as Robert could tell at least, in love. 

“Aww, that is such a wonderful picture, they look like they’re very nice people.” Robert said. In the background, he could make out just a bit of their home, the floor looked like marble and he could make out something that looked like little seats, almost like beanbags, around a table. Upon closer inspection, he saw two other merpeople sitting on two of the beanbags, their tails curled up comfortably underneath them. Each of them had a device, quite similar to the one Jimmy was holding, in their hands. They were reading or watching something on these devices.

“They are.” Jimmy agreed with a smile. 

“Who are the others? Your siblings?” Robert asked. From what he’d gathered, merpeople didn’t have only one baby at a time, they had a whole brood of hatchlings. 

“Yes, one of my brothers and one of my sisters.” Jimmy said. 

“How many siblings do you have??” The blonde asked excitedly. 

“Seven!” Jimmy answered. “What about you?”

“Wow. I only have one sister.” Robert said. “Although it sometimes feels like I have 7, she’s a bit younger than me and quite a handful.” He grinned, flipping the pages of his album again until he found a picture of her, showing it to Jimmy. 

“She looks sweet, though.” Jimmy said with a smile.

“She is, she is, don’t get me wrong. I love her.” Robert chuckled. “So... you and your siblings all hatched at the same time?” He asked. Jimmy nodded.

“Give or take a few hours.” He added. “I was the last to hatch and they are all acting like I am ‘the little one’.” He pouted. Robert laughed at that. 

“It really doesn’t make a difference, does it?” He grinned.

“Of course it does not!” Jimmy said and sat up a little straighter, a proud look on his face. Robert thought he was almost as adorable as he was on that picture he’d showed him earlier. 

They grinned at each other and continued to show each other pictures of their family, their friends and their homes. When Robert got to a picture of his first car, Jimmy quickly looked for a picture of their vehicles. Robert blinked in surprise, it looked like a futuristic capsule rather than a submarine or a car. It was absolutely amazing. 

In the background, he got a glimpse of the city, it was illuminated by all sorts of lights, street lamps as well as big neon signs that were quite obviously advertisements, although Robert couldn’t tell for what. The buildings were huge, he felt like he was looking at a subaqueous New York City or something, although they were less angular, rounded and soft rather than sharp skyscrapers. It was mind blowing. He suddenly felt like he needed a little break and stretched.

“Hey, how do you feel about going for a little swim? I don’t want you drying out again.” He said cheekily and grinned at the merman.

“You... want to go into the water?” He asked and blinked at him.

“Yeah! Why not? I love swimming.” Robert said and got up, taking off his shirt as well as his shorts, leaving him in his trunks. Jimmy blinked at him again, looking him up and down before blushing and lowering his gaze. Robert couldn’t help but wonder what that was about, he was the one who was naked literally all the time, after all. 

“Just... be careful. This is not a beach, there may be currents and there are rocks everywhere. I do not want you to get hurt, humans are terrible swimmers.” Jimmy warned him.

“I’ll be careful. I promise. You can look out for me, too, right?” He asked, sitting on the edge of the cliff, letting his legs dangle into the water. Jimmy glanced at him briefly, then he nodded. He quickly put the device he’d used to show Robert all those pictures back into his pouch, then pushed himself off the edge, falling into the water in one smooth motion, barely causing a splash.


	7. A swim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jimmy takes Robert for a swim in the ocean, finally showing him a part of his world.

Robert looked at the calm surface of the water for a moment, before he remembered something. He got up again and went to his backpack to rummage for his diving goggles. The salty water would burn horribly in his eyes if he opened them in there, but he really, almost desperately, wanted to see Jimmy swim. He quickly put them on, then went to get into the water as well.

He gasped at how cold it was at first, even though it was summer by now, the sun was shining and it was warm, but the ocean was still really cold. He knew he’d get used to it in a bit, but at first, it took his breath away. Instead of jumping right in, he slowly lowered himself off their little ledge and took a moment to get used to it before moving. After a few strokes, he got startled by Jimmy popping up right in front of him. The merman coughed up some water before drawing a breath of air and speaking.

“Are you alright?” He asked worriedly, then blinked in confusion at the goggles on the blonde’s face. “What is this?” He asked, pointing. 

“These? Oh! Goggles, so I can see underwater! I’m fine, it was just a little cold initially.” Robert answered.

“Does the water hurt your eyes?” Jimmy asked curiously, swimming a little closer to get a better look at the goggles. 

“Yeah, well, the salt burns.” Robert explained. “I really wanted to see you swim, you know, see you move in your... natural habitat, I suppose.” He added and the merman looked at him curiously before smiling mysteriously and diving back down. Robert wasted no time, quickly adjusted his goggles and made sure they sat just right before diving as well. 

The water was surprisingly clear this close to the shore and the surface, so Robert could see rather well, actually. He could see the rocks of their cliff, he could even see some fish further down. Not being able to see the bottom scared him a little, but he pushed the thought aside.

It took him a moment to spot Jimmy, he was so fast, just zipping past him, back and forth. A single thrust of his powerful, muscular tail was enough to propel him forward quite a bit, his arms were pulled back, he only used his webbed hands to steer a bit. He looked magnificent, moving so elegantly and quickly in the water. 

Then he stopped moving and Robert got a chance to look at him. He just sort of floated there, gently moving the large fin at the end of his tail to keep him in position right there and he was so gorgeous, the way his hair was gently moving with the current, floating around his head, the pearls in it shimmering beautifully in the sunlight that was filtering in through the water. 

He gave Robert a little smile, it looked quite shy, Robert thought, but then, the fins along the side of his tail flared, glittering in the sunlight as well. Curious, the human swam a little closer and Jimmy did it again. Robert thought they couldn’t possibly be functional fins, they were more like... ruffles? Frills? Most likely decorative rather than used for swimming, he decided. He wondered why Jimmy was doing that, he almost reminded him of a peacock. Was he peacocking? Was he trying to impress Robert? 

Before he could finish that thought, Robert had to get to the surface to draw a breath, running out of air far too quickly for his liking. He drew a few breaths and dove right back down and this time, Jimmy started swimming closer to him, moving gently and slowly, almost like a beautiful dance, still showing off the decorative frills along his side before starting to swim circles around the human. Robert couldn’t keep up with him, he was getting dizzy, so he surfaced again, Jimmy following soon after. Robert blinked at him curiously, trying to figure out what was happening. 

“You... you’re... beautiful.” He said carefully once he caught his breath. Jimmy bashfully lowered his gaze but smiled to himself, so Robert probably hadn’t overstepped some kind of boundary, he thought. 

“Would you like to swim with me?” Jimmy then asked him.

“Oh... sure, I just... I’m nowhere near that fast.” Robert answered.

“No, I meant... you could hold on to me, I will pull you.” Jimmy clarified. Now that sounded like fun, Robert thought, so he nodded.

“Uhm... where do you want me? I don’t wanna, uhm, accidentally hurt you or touch something I’m not supposed to touch.” He mumbled, embarrassed. Jimmy actually laughed.

“I will be fine unless you stick your fingers into my gills.” He said, amused. Robert laughed at that as well. “Just put your hands on my waist.” Jimmy added, swimming closer and turning around, with his back to the human, taking his hands and moving them to his waist, just above his tail. Robert had never been that close to the merman before and he noticed that Jimmy, with that long tail, was quite a bit longer than him, despite their torsos being almost the same size.

“Alright, I’ll be sure to stay clear of the gills. Just... don’t take me too far down? I really don’t wanna drown.” He said worriedly.

“Do not worry, I will stay close to the surface for now.” Jimmy reassured him. Robert felt the water move against his legs when the merman thrust his tail once more, starting to move through the water. He stayed just below the surface, so Robert could stay up where he could breathe as Jimmy pulled him. It took him a few moments to start gaining speed, but when he did, boy was he fast! 

Robert laughed with joy, it was so much fun to move through the water at that speed, it was almost like a ride at an amusement park. He barely had much time to draw a deep breath, though, when Jimmy suddenly dove down a little, taking him underneath the surface. Now that there was even less friction, he went even faster and Robert’s stomach did a somersault just before Jimmy took him back up to let him breathe, slowing down. He surfaced as well and turned around to beam at the human.

“Holy shit! That was fun, you’re SO fast!” Robert gushed, grinning at his friend. 

“I thought you might enjoy that.” Jimmy grinned right back at him. When he looked around, Robert got a little startled by how far out they had swam, quite far from the shore. Jimmy must have seen the worry on his face and smiled at him soothingly. “It is alright, I will take you back. Do not worry.” 

“Ok.” Robert said with a nod. He trusted the merman not to just leave him out here. 

“I want to show you something. Hold your breath.” Jimmy then asked him and dove down. When Robert joined him, he pointed at something towards the shore, underneath the surface of the water. The blonde didn’t quite see what he meant at first, but then he saw the large hole in the cliff Jimmy was pointing at and nodded before resurfacing.

“What is that?” He asked when Jimmy joined him. 

“It is an entrance to a cave. It is quite large, with a big cavern inside that has air as well as water. I would like to take you there next time we meet.” The merman explained. “It is more secluded than our current meeting spot. I am still worried another human might find us there.” 

“Oh...” Robert’s eyes widened. It would be cool for them to have their own spot, a cave, to meet in, but he had no idea how to get there. “How far is it to reach the part of the cave that has air? How long would I have to hold my breath for?” He asked.

“It is not far at all. I am very fast, even when I am pulling you. You would have to hold your breath for maybe a minute, maybe a little more.” Jimmy said.

“I don’t know...” Robert stammered. He didn’t want to disappoint his friend, but he was scared. Terribly scared.

“Trust me?” Jimmy asked pleadingly and Robert swallowed.

“Let me think about it until next week, ok?” He said. Jimmy looked a little disappointed, but he nodded.

“Alright. Let us swim back, then.” He said and dove back down again, but almost right away, he resurfaced, an excited look on his face. “Oh! Come, there is something else you MUST see!” He said and almost pulled Robert underwater in his excitement. The human just so managed to take a breath before Jimmy pulled him along, excitedly pointing at something in the distance. They quickly got closer and Robert saw what he was so excited about.

A whale. A huge, giant whale was slowly swimming right there, not very far from them. Scared, Robert grabbed Jimmy’s hand, causing the merman to smile and pull him up again to talk to him.

“Do not be afraid, it is a friend.” He said, amused. “Just a big, slow, gentle friend.”

“It’s not gonna try and eat us?” Robert asked, making Jimmy laugh loudly. 

“No! Of course not! It only eats plants.” He said. “We do not look like plants.” He added and this time, Robert laughed.

“Coincidentally, my surname is ‘Plant’.” He said. Jimmy tilted his head like he didn’t know what that meant (did merpeople have surnames, Robert wondered?), then he laughed again.

“Come, just a little closer?” He asked pleadingly, tugging at Robert’s hand. Against his better judgement, Robert found himself nodding and luckily, this time, Jimmy gave him just a little more time to take a breath before dragging him back down. He stared at the absolutely enormous animal in front of him in wonder, watching as it glided through the water, all majestic, then paused, listening intently.

He could hear the whale, he could hear it singing. Excitedly, he tugged at Jimmy’s hand and pointed at his ears when the merman turned towards him. Jimmy blinked at him in surprise, then dragged him back to the surface.

“You can hear it?” He asked almost immediately, spluttering a little because of the water left in his system. 

“Yes! Faintly, but I can! It’s beautiful!” Robert said. He couldn’t quite figure out Jimmy’s expression, he looked excited and awed, happy too. 

“Do you know what that means?” He said breathlessly, a big smile spreading over his face. “I can tell you my name. My actual name! You will be able to hear me speak my language underwater!” 

“What?? Oh my god, yes! I want to! Tell me your name!” Robert said, finally realizing why Jimmy was so excited about this. This time, it was him taking a breath and diving down first, Jimmy following right after. 

The whale was slowly swimming away from them, its sound getting quieter already, but when Jimmy appeared in front of him and opened his mouth, Robert could hear him loud and clear. It sounded quite similar to the whale song, but much more distinguished, much more like... well, words. He made a sound and pointed at himself, then some more sounds followed before he said his name again. Robert couldn’t understand what he was saying, of course, but at least he now knew what his name sounded like. It was beautiful, he thought. 

“Your real name has two syllables, too, like Jimmy.” He said as soon as they both resurfaced.

“Sy... syll... ables?” Jimmy asked in confusion, frowning.

“Yeah! Like... two parts of the word? Ji - mmy. Or Jim - my.” He explained. The merman smiled when he understood.

“Yes. You picked the right human name for me, then.” He said happily. 

“Your language sounds so beautiful. Much more beautiful than ours.” Robert sighed wistfully.

“That is not true. Especially when you sing, it is beautiful, too.” Jimmy said with an encouraging smile.

“Well... I’m still baffled you like my singing so much, but I’m grateful that you do.” Robert chuckled. “Hey... could you take me back to the shore? I’m getting a little tired.” He then admitted. They had been out here for a while now and his arms and legs got tired from keeping him afloat. Jimmy nodded and immediately moved closer to let the human hold on to his waist again, quickly swimming towards the shore with him. 

“You are not an awful swimmer, for a human.” Jimmy told him once they were back on their little shelf, smiling at him cheekily. He’d stayed in the water, resting his arms on the rock while Robert had climbed back up.

“Well, thanks.” Robert laughed. “No, seriously, thank you, for showing me all that. I’ve never seen a whale, at all, and I never thought I’d get to see one from up close. That was amazing.”

“You are welcome.” Jimmy answered softly. “Please think about the cave again. It is not far and... it could be our spot. Just for us.” 

“Yeah... I... I will. I’m just so scared.” Robert sighed. “I’ll think about it, I promise.” He understood Jimmy’s fear of being discovered, and he liked that he wanted then to have their own secret little hideaway, but what if he couldn’t hold his breath long enough? The very thought was terrifying and he most definitely couldn’t afford diving gear to get to the cave. 

“So... I will see you next Sunday?” Jimmy asked, full of hope, and Robert nodded.

“Yeah. Of course. Hey, I’ll leave the record player here, you can use it if you like. It has a built in radio, too, so you can listen to human radio! If you have the time to come here during the week, I mean.” Robert said.

“Oh! I think I do! I would love that! Thank you!” Jimmy gasped, obviously excited about that. “I can come and listen to the radio and read the magazines. I will learn so much!” Robert couldn’t help but smile at him widely, he was so adorable when he got all excited.

“Your english is so close to perfect already, you really don’t have to learn any more... although the radio will help teaching you more words and phrases.” He said. 

“Yes! I would love that. Sometimes you say things that confuse me.” He said with a cute little frown. 

“You can just ask me if you don’t get something, you know.” Robert said gently. He had so many questions for the merman, as well, but he just didn’t dare to ask. He was so curious about what he’d been doing earlier, in the water, presenting himself like a peacock, but he didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable or embarrass him. What if he just couldn’t help it, what if it was just... normal, for merpeople? What if it meant nothing?

“I know. I will.” Jimmy smiled. He took his little pouch and slung it around his shoulder, getting ready to leave. “Goodbye. See you soon.” 

“See you.” Robert said and waved at him, watching him swim off until he couldn’t see him anymore in the water. He gathered the things he didn’t plan on leaving here for Jimmy and climbed up on the large boulder he usually sat on, sitting in the sun until his hair and trunks were dry before getting dressed and leaving. He couldn’t quite figure Jimmy’s flashy, confident display out, especially with how shy and bashful he’d been right afterwards. It was utterly confusing, but then again, they were very different, despite all the similarities.


	8. The Tunnel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert has a talk with his best friend, Bonzo, about his budding feelings for the merman (which turns out not to be all that easy without actually telling him the truth).   
The following Sunday, Robert decides to let Jimmy take him to that cave he had mentioned previously, but not everything goes as planned...

During the week, sitting at his desk at work, Robert once again couldn’t stop thinking about his merman. He didn’t even know when he’d started thinking of Jimmy as ‘his’ merman, but the thought both amused and terrified him. Was he already getting possessive? Sighing heavily as he moved another stack of papers he’d just finished working on, Robert began wondering how on earth he was gonna make it to that damned cave Jimmy wanted to take him to. Of course he would love to make the sea creature feel safer, more secluded from (other) human eyes and ears, but on the other hand, it seemed terribly dangerous.

Back at home, he started trying out just how long he could hold his breath. At first, he didn’t even make it to a single minute, staring at his watch as he held his breath, counting the seconds, but after trying a few things, he managed to hold it for just a bit over one minute. He noticed it got easier if he took a few deep breaths first, but then didn’t inhale as much as possible, just a little. That way, he didn’t feel pressured to exhale as quickly and it seemed to work better overall. Still, it was nowhere near enough and he sighed in annoyance. 

Just after he took another deep breath, the door to his little apartment opened and Bonzo walked in. Robert knew he’d regret giving a key to his friend at some point, but he hadn’t expected it to be in a situation like this. He quickly exhaled and coughed, panting slightly, staring at the other man with wide eyes.

“Uhm... the fuck did I just walk in on?” Bonzo asked carefully, backing away a little. “I can come back later, you know, if you need some time...?” He added, frowning at Robert’s red face.

“Oh, no... no, it’s fine, Bonzo.” He answered quickly. “I just... I was just... practicing holding my breath.” He finished lamely. There wasn’t even a point in lying. 

“Ok.” Bonzo said, still considering Robert carefully and a little worriedly. “Any special reason for that...?” Now that wasn’t a good question, because now Robert would have to come up with an explanation. 

“Uh... uhm, I... read... in a newspaper... that... uhm...” He stammered and scratched the back of his head self-consciously. “That most people can’t hold their breath for more than a minute.” He finished quickly, hoping Bonzo would leave it at that.

“Ah. And? Can you?” The bigger man asked, slowly shuffling over to Robert’s fridge to get a bottle of beer. 

“Yeah. Barely, though.” Robert answered truthfully, accepting the bottle his friend gave him once he joined him on the sofa.

“Well, if you quit smoking so bloody much, maybe it’d be easier, you know?” He said as he sat down. “The hell is up with you? You’re all bonkers, lately. I barely see you anymore and when I do, you’re... different. Distracted.” Robert groaned and covered his face with his hands. He didn’t even know what to say. Of course Bonzo would catch on, they’d known each other for more than a decade after all. 

“Ugh. Fuck. It’s nothing... it’s just... I don’t know.” He stammered and sighed. “Can I ask you something?” This time, it was Bonzo who sighed.

“Look, I’m not a bloody shrink, you know I’m not good at this... talking thing.” He said. “If you need advice, go talk to your Mum.”

“Nooo... just listen. You don’t even have to say anything, just listen, let me rant, maybe it’ll help?” Robert said. 

“.... A’ight.” Bonzo agreed, finally, not without giving him another one of those weirded out looks. He leaned back and took a swig of beer. 

“I... kind of... met someone.” Robert started slowly and Bonzo rolled his eyes.

“So it’s a bird, huh? Should’a known.” He sighed. “What’s wrong with this one, you shag different birds every weekend!” He added and Robert shook his head.

“It is very different, trust me.” He said. “I don’t know what to make of this... girl.” He decided to stick with what Bonzo already believed to be true, maybe he could still get some words of advice, maybe it would help to just get it off his chest. 

“Ok? I’ll need more than that, mate.” Bonzo prodded. 

“Well, first of all, I haven’t been ‘shagging’... her.” Now that made the other do a double take, that was *very* unusual for Robert. “I’ve been seeing her for a few weeks.”

“Wait. What?” Bonzo gasped. “You’ve known her for that long and you haven’t put your knob in her??” 

“Exactly. Do you see that it’s different, now?” Robert asked. 

“Yeah. Are you sure you’re alright, man?” The blonde almost laughed at how shocked his friend sounded. 

“I’m *fine*. It’s just... she’s not like the other girls, she’s from... a very different culture.” Robert explained.

“What, like that girl Maureen you were dating a while ago?” Bonzo asked. Robert shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“Come on. Maureen was born here, you can’t compare that. I’m talking *very* different. Like... have you heard of those tribes in the rainforest that have never even seen, like, a modern human being?? *That* different!” He huffed.

“Wow... where did you dig up one of those?” Bonzo asked slowly, narrowing his eyes at him in disbelief. 

“You wouldn’t believe me.” Robert shrugged. “The thing is... I have a feeling that he likes me, but I’m scared to do anything about it because I’m just not sure. I don’t wanna... I don’t know, spook him.” It took him a moment to realize what he said, but the utter shock on Bonzo’s face quickly made it clear to him. “She! Her! I meant her.” He corrected himself, but the harm was done.

“Bloody hell. It’s a bloke. So *that’s* what’s wrong, that’s why we haven’t seen you with ‘her’!” He gasped, pointing at Robert, almost accusingly. “You’re a fucking fairy! But hey, I’m not judging.”

“I am not! For fucks sake, Bonzo, you’ve seen me with hundreds of birds, you know I’m not!” Robert growled. “I just slipped up, I meant to say ‘she’ and ‘her’.”

“Right. That’s why you’re acting so blood weird, because it’s just a regular old girl you’re seeing.” Bonzo said suspiciously.

“I told you she’s not! She’s... odd.” Robert sighed. “She’s very shy. She blushes when I’m flirty with her, she goes all quiet and looks away... but then she does those things that make me think she likes me. I don’t know what to do. What if in her culture, it doesn’t even mean anything and I’m making a fool out of myself?”

“What does she do?” Bonzo asked slowly, still staring at Robert like he’s grown a second head. The blonde took a moment to consider how to paraphrase Jimmy’s behaviour, to find human equivalents for what he was doing.

“Well, for starters, she always seems very excited to see me again, she’s all bubbly and talkative, smiling and laughing... like she couldn’t wait to see me again. When I first met her, she was... I don’t know, dressed rather plainly, right? But then, every time we met again, she was dressed up more and more, jewellery and all. Then there’s those little things, she’ll bat her eyelashes at me, twirl her hair, sway her hips, dance for me...” He explained, glad that he managed to come up with some things Jimmy would be doing if he were human. 

Bonzo just blinked at him in disbelief, then he threw his head back and started laughing loudly, holding his belly and gasping for breath. Robert glared at him until he’d calmed down enough to talk.

“You are one dense motherfucker!” He laughed. “I can’t, with you! What is wrong with you? Of bloody course she... or he... likes you!! Why are you even questioning that?” 

“Because I feel like she wouldn’t usually act like that with a bloke that’s... well, not even from the same spe-... culture.” He quickly corrected himself. “I don’t know what to do. I really like her and I don’t wanna ruin the friendship in case I misunderstood.” 

“You know, the easiest way to find out would be to just talk to her.” Bonzo said. 

“Right.” Robert sighed. “It’s not that easy.” He added, then paused. Maybe it was that easy? Now that Jimmy spoke english that well, maybe he *could* just talk to him? If he was wrong, he could just pretend to be joking, Jimmy wouldn’t know. 

“You’re a mess, man.” Bonzo sighed. “I never took you to be the kind of bloke to settle down or something, but this... this sounds serious.” This time, Robert had to hold back from laughing. He knew his friend meant well, but he didn’t even know the half of it, hell, not even 10 % of the truth. While Bonzo was married and had a kid already, Robert just kept stumbling from one heated romance that died out quickly to the next, never settling down or staying with the same girl for too long. 

“Nah, Bonzo... I think I’m just in over my head here. I don’t know.” He shrugged. It was probably stupid to even think about this in that way. 

“Whatever, mate. I didn’t come here to be your shrink, I came to watch The Generation Game with you.” Bonzo said and got up to switch on the TV. Robert smiled at that and nodded, maybe some distraction would be good for him. He finished his beer and got up to get both of them another bottle before sitting back down and watching the show. 

It wasn’t like he could even focus on the show, though. His thoughts kept straying back to Jimmy. Up until now, he had never even considered the fact that Jimmy was, at least as far as Robert was aware, male. It didn’t seem to matter, he wasn’t even human. Robert had never been attracted to a man before, not once, but when he thought about Jimmy, he couldn’t help but find him incredibly pretty, absolutely stunningly gorgeous, even. He couldn’t help but love the way his laughter sounded, that silly little giggle, or the way his hair looked underwater. He remembered the beautiful lilt of the merpeople’s language when he heard it for the first time and the way Jimmy’s voice had sounded underwater. 

He couldn’t deny that he was attracted to him and he had a feeling that Jimmy felt the same way about him. He would have to talk to him about it, but what if the attraction was mutual? It wasn’t like they could even... be together. They lived so far apart, in completely different parts of the world, even. 

He sighed heavily again, causing Bonzo to whack him across the head with a pillow in annoyance.

“Stop moping, for fucks sake!” He groaned and dialed up the volume of the TV. Robert chuckled to himself. He wanted to be better company than that, so he decided to at least try and stop thinking about it for now. He would have to talk to Jimmy, though.

He spent the rest of the week wrecking his brain on how to ask Jimmy about this without offending or spooking him as well as trying to figure out how to hold his breath as long as possible. He cut down on the cigarettes and practiced every day, but it didn’t seem to get much easier, or longer, for that matter. 

In the end, he bought a snorkel, a simple little plastic thing. It wouldn’t help him getting into that cave, but at least he’d be able to keep his head underwater to watch and listen to Jimmy there. It was better than nothing and maybe he could somehow modify it to actually help him get through that tunnel into the cave. 

On Sunday, Robert was terribly nervous, for two very good reasons. When Jimmy came and hoisted himself up on the rock, he barely even managed a smile at him, despite how happy he was to see the merman, despite how wonderful he looked. He had his little pouch with him again, and it seemed to be a little fuller this time.

“Hello! How are you?” Jimmy said cheerfully, but when he saw Robert, he tilted his head curiously. “Are you alright? You look... nervous.” He said slowly. 

“Hey. I... yeah. Sorry. I’m worried about going to that cave.” He admitted. It wasn’t a lie, it just wasn’t the whole truth. Jimmy considered him for a moment, thoughtful.

“I will not let you drown, Robert.” He said gently, reaching out to cover one of Robert’s hands with his own, much colder one. The blonde shivered at the way he said his name and closed his eyes, turning his hand to gasp Jimmy’s gently.

“What if... something happens, something you didn’t see coming?” He asked. It almost felt like some sort of premonition when he said it out loud. Jimmy considered it for a moment.

“I understand that you are scared and I will not hold it against you if you say no. But I doubt anything bad is going to happen.” He said thoughtfully. “I highly doubt it. I know this cave. It is safe.”

“I want to go, I know you’re worried somebody will find us here. I know you’d feel safer there.” Robert sighed. “You know what? Let’s do it. Just... give me a few minutes.” He finally decided and let go of Jimmy’s hand to start rummaging in the bag he brought, taking out his goggles and the snorkel.

“Ok.” Jimmy said. “Thank you for leaving the radio here. I learned so much. I listened to so many songs. I heard some songs I heard you sing, up there, too.” He explained. Robert heard the smile in his voice even though he wasn’t looking at him. 

“That’s great! I can tell you listened to the radio a lot, I’ve never heard you say ‘ok’ before.” He chuckled. Jimmy laughed and Robert cursed himself for feeling butterflies in his stomach at the sound of that. 

“I am... how do you say that... coming around to it?” He said cutely. “I’m learning to sound more like you.” He added and Robert paused. He’d never shortened and combined two words like that before, always saying each word separately, very carefully. This was truly a breakthrough, and Robert wondered why he hadn’t picked that up from talking to him, before. Maybe he was too nervous and focused on not making mistakes when talking to him? Maybe he was just more relaxed listening to the radio?

“That’s cool... although I like the way you talk. It’s quirky. It’s very... you.” Robert said, turning around to smile at Jimmy again. He got up and stripped off his clothes, down to his trunks, again and put his goggles on his head. When he turned back towards Jimmy again, the merman had averted his gaze and he was very clearly blushing. “Ok, I need to ask you something.” Robert blurted out before he could help himself.

“Yes?” Jimmy said shyly. 

“Why do you always look away when I undress, why do you blush? What’s so bad about it, you’re always naked!” Robert asked in bewilderment, he just didn’t understand what the big deal was. Jimmy made a startled sound and covered his face with his hands. “Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I just don’t understand.” He wanted to kick himself, he couldn’t believe he just blurted that out and made Jimmy feel uncomfortable.

“It is ok... I’m sorry, I just... cannot say it out loud.” Jimmy whined, still not looking up. 

“Hey... it’s ok... you can tell me anything, I promise I won’t be mad.” Robert said gently. Jimmy took a deep breath and glanced at him from between his fingertips briefly.

“I... it’s just... oh no...” He giggled nervously. “It’s just that human genitals are on the outside.” He quickly blurted out and Robert almost fell over backwards. Part of him wanted to laugh and hug Jimmy for sounding like a fucking biology book rather than a normal person, part of him wanted to know what the fuck that meant. On the outside?

“Uhm. I mean, yes, but... wait.” Robert found himself stammering, glancing down at his crotch. Sure, it showed quite a bit through his tight trunks, but it wasn’t *that* obscene, now, was it? Then it occurred to him, despite Jimmy not wearing any clothes at all, he’d never noticed anything that even remotely looked like genitals on him, before. Not that he’d been looking for any, but he sure would have noticed if there were any, right? “You mean... yours aren’t?” He asked carefully, secretly glad that he could finally ask about that without it being too weird. 

“N-no. Ours are... inside. Retractable. We only, uh, take them out when we... uhm, well, need them.” Jimmy stammered uncomfortably, fidgeting with the strap of his bag. The first thought that struck Robert was how fucking neat that was, but then he felt bad for making the merman feel so awkward.

“Shit... I had no idea. I’m so sorry I made you feel uncomfortable.” He said softly. 

“You didn’t know. I’m sorry I made it... weird.” Jimmy mumbled. 

“It’s alright. Hey, don’t feel bad. We’re learning, right? Nobody has ever done this before, this interspecies friendship thing, right? It’s all new, but we’ll figure it out.” Robert said encouragingly and Jimmy finally looked at him, albeit shyly. 

“You are right.” He said in a small voice. “I should not feel awkward about something that is so normal, natural, for you.” 

“I mean, it is still covered.” Robert chuckled. “I would have chosen a different pair of trunks if I had been aware, though.” 

When Jimmy just smiled and looked down shyly again, Robert knew it was time to change the subject. He picked up the snorkel he brought and showed it to his friend. 

“What is this?” Jimmy asked, taking it from Robert’s hands to examine it.

“A snorkel. It allows me to breathe underwater. Well, in a way. It’s very limited, this end has to stay above the surface, of course. But that way I could swim with you, look at you and hear you speak underwater without having to come up for air all the time.” He explained. 

“Oh! That’s nice. Very useful.” Jimmy said thoughtfully, turning it in his hands and prodding the mouthpiece curiously. 

“Yeah. I thought about modifying it so that it would help me get through that tunnel down there, but I couldn’t figure out a way...” Robert said slowly. Jimmy glanced up at him, then back down at the snorkel. 

“You’d need... something to keep some air trapped.” He said thoughtfully. He seemed to think about it for a while longer, before his gaze fell on the plastic bag Robert had used to bring his gear. “If you could attach that bag to it... somehow... it won’t be much, but you’d feel safer, would you not?” He asked and Robert raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t even thought of that.

“That might work... I have some duct-tape in my car.” He mused. “Won’t it prevent me from diving, though? It would pull me up.” 

“I’m pretty strong, well, at least underwater. I can pull you down just fine.” Jimmy said confidently. 

“Maybe it’s worth trying. We can just leave it up here if it doesn’t work at all.” Robert said. “Let me get the tape.” He said and got back up. He quickly tied his shirt around his hips so Jimmy wouldn’t feel so awkward anymore, at least while they were doing this, and went back to his car, got the roll of tape and went back to Jimmy. He used an absolutely ridiculous amount of tape to attach the bag to the snorkel, but he wanted to be safe and make sure it’s absolutely airtight. Jimmy watched him curiously with a little smile on his face, obviously a little amused at such a primitive, human contraption, but Robert refused to feel bad about it. If he could get any little bit of air down there, just in case, he’d do it.

“Are you ready?” Jimmy asked and Robert nodded. He was determined to do this. “Ok. Just... trust me and let me pull you. Don’t fight me, even if you get scared. I’ll get us through the tunnel as quickly as I possibly can.” Robert nodded again, it made sense. If he panicked and struggled, it’d make it harder for Jimmy, so he understood what he meant. “It’ll be rather dark in the tunnel. You probably won’t be able to see much. It’s alright, though, I promise, I can see. Just trust me.”

Now that was something Robert hadn’t considered. Of course there wouldn’t be much light in the tunnel. He was even more scared now. He’d be underwater, it’d be dark, he wouldn’t be able to see where they’re going... it was absolutely terrifying. 

“Do you realize how much trust you’re asking for, Jimmy?” He breathed. 

“I do. I promise it’ll be fine. It’s just going to take a minute.” The merman reassured him again and Robert groaned. 

“Alright. Fine. Whatever. Let’s get this over with. Fuck.” He cursed and jumped into the water before he could change his mind. Jimmy quickly followed and looked at him worriedly. 

“I want you to hold on to my shoulders this time, I need more room to move my tail, to be as fast as possible. Lock your arms around me and whatever you do, do not let go.” Jimmy told him. 

Robert nodded and filled his bag with some air. He didn’t put as much as possible, afraid it’d make it too hard for Jimmy to drag him, just enough to feel a little safer. He took a few deep breaths before putting the snorkel into his mouth and locking his arms around Jimmy’s shoulders. Immediately, Jimmy dove down and Robert tightened his hold on him. The merman was most definitely giving it his all, he was much faster than the last time, even, when they’d been swimming for fun. 

Within just a few seconds, they reached the hole in the cliff and Robert fought the rising fear inside himself, clinging to Jimmy. A part of him was relieved with just how fast they were, he hadn’t anticipated that, but he was still afraid, especially now that it was getting darker and harder to see. 

The next 20 seconds were just inky blackness for Robert and if it hadn’t been for the comforting feeling of Jimmy’s body underneath his own, he would have lost his mind, but then he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, literally. 

Now that he was sure they were going to make it, Robert relaxed, he knew he could hold his breath long enough to make it, but then, something appeared in front of them that made Jimmy stop. He couldn’t see what it was, it was still too dark even at the end of the tunnel. Robert heard Jimmy making a terrifying, threatening sound, something between a growl and a hiss and whatever it was that had stopped them quickly swam away.

He almost yelled in shock when it swam right into his plastic bag, tearing the snorkel out of his mouth and swimming off, tangled in the bag. Scared, he let go of Jimmy to try and grab it. The merman turned around to see what had happened and quickly took Robert’s hands, starting to drag him towards the light again.

Again, fear seized Robert, he could feel his lungs struggling. They had been held up, making the journey take several seconds longer than Jimmy had planned and he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold his breath for much longer and now he had no backup plan, his snorkel and his bag of air was gone. Jimmy was desperately racing towards the light and soon, they left the tunnel, ending up in what appeared to be a lake of sorts, but there were still several feet to go until they’d reach the surface. 

Panicked, Robert struggled and grabbed at Jimmy’s hands when he felt that he couldn’t do it any longer, he was threatening to inhale water. He released the air that was left in his lungs to buy a few precious seconds, but it was too late, he just knew his body would betray him and greedily suck in the water around them.

He lost his grip on Jimmy, going lax as realization hit him. He was going to die. He was going to drown, right here, just a few feet below the surface. This was it. Goodbye cruel world, and all of that just because of a few seconds of delay. How could he have been so stupid to agree to this?

Time seemed to slow down, Robert felt completely and utterly calm all of a sudden, it felt like he was watching himself from the outside, slowly being dragged through the water. Just when he made to open his mouth, Jimmy turned around, let go of his wrist and clamped his webbed hand over his mouth. Suddenly, he was right there, his face was right in front of his, then his hand was gone and his lips were on Robert’s. 

Everything kicked back in when Robert felt his lungs being filled with precious oxygen, time sped up again and as quickly as he’d appeared, Jimmy’s face was gone again and he started dragging him up once more. It only took a few more seconds to reach the surface and Robert immediately took a breath, coughing and spluttering, but Jimmy didn’t stop pulling him until he reached the edge of the lake.

Still panting harshly, coughing up water, Robert crawled up the soft, sandy slope and lay down. He was barely even aware of Jimmy next to him, panting as well, utterly exhausted. He couldn’t believe he’d almost died, just because of... a fish, or whatever it was. 

He couldn’t move, he could barely even think, too shaken by what had just happened. All he could do was lie there and stare up at that huge crack in the ceiling of the cave that allowed sunlight to fall into the large cavern. After a while, he let his head fall to the side and saw Jimmy’s utterly terrified, worried face looking at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh.


	9. The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his near-death experience, both Robert's and Jimmy's emotions are going crazy and some strange things happen. Robert explores the cave to find another way out that wouldn't force him to dive through the tunnel once more.

Robert’s brain still felt like it was rebooting, he felt sluggish and weird as he looked at the merman, but slowly, a strange warmth filled his body and he felt himself getting utterly giddy with joy. Maybe it was just the adrenalin, but he felt so alive, more than ever before in his entire life. 

“I... I’m alive.” He whispered and a weird little laugh left his lips, almost without him even noticing. “I’m alive!” He then said, louder, and sat up, starting to pat down his body as if he couldn’t actually believe that he was, in fact, still alive. 

Jimmy didn’t answer, he just kept staring at Robert in utter shock. His eyes seemed to tear up, Robert couldn't really tell as they were both still wet, but he rubbed them and made a strange little sound, like he was sobbing. Before he knew what was happening, he found his arms full of crying merman, clinging to him for dear life, holding him tight. 

Suddenly, Robert was struck by the strangest thing he’d ever felt, it was like all of Jimmy’s sorrow, regret, shock, fear and relief hit him like a truck. He felt them like they were his own emotions, but somehow, he knew they weren’t his. It was like him and the merman were one. The sudden onslaught was overwhelming him and making him gasp, but just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. 

“I am sorry, I am sorry, I am so sorry!” Jimmy whined, still clinging to him while Robert was trying to process what just happened. 

“Jimmy, what was that?” He whispered, slowly raising his hand to rub the other’s back soothingly, holding him close as well.

“I don’t know, I am sorry, it was just *there* suddenly, blocking my way, and then it swam off and I-” Jimmy started babbling, but Robert stopped him.

“No, I mean, just now. I felt... I felt like... I don’t know...” He trailed off and Jimmy blinked at him, then lowered his gaze bashfully.

“I don’t know what you mean.” He said curtly and Robert felt that he knew exactly what he meant. He was still clinging to the blonde, holding on to him, nuzzling his neck and sniffling. 

“Jimmy. I... I know what I felt. That was... what was that? Did you do that?” He prompted again, but the merman didn’t even look up this time.

“I don’t know what you mean.” He repeated. “Maybe it’s just the shock because of what just happened?” He offered, still unable to meet Robert’s eyes. The singer sighed heavily and lay back down, pulling Jimmy along with him, arms still wrapped around him. Now that the adrenalin was slowly fading, he felt exhausted and drained. 

“Maybe.” He whispered. He still didn’t buy it, but he didn’t have the energy to prod further. Jimmy slowly sat up, propping himself up with one arm, his other hand resting on Robert’s chest as he looked down at him worriedly. He’d calmed down a little too, by now, and wasn’t babbling anymore.

“I am so sorry. I swam through this tunnel hundreds of times, not once have I encountered one of those ugly, big, long fish. I don’t know where this one came from, I have never seen one of them anywhere close to here, I swear. I would not have done this, I would not have taken you through this tunnel if I had known!” He said solemnly. This, Robert believed. 

“I know.” He sighed. “It’s not your fault.” A small part of him wanted to shake Jimmy and yell at him for almost killing him, but a bigger part of him knew that he hadn’t meant to put him in any danger. He’d been so sure that it was safe, he’d never wanted to harm Robert. 

“I... I would understand if you never want to see me again. I almost got you killed.” Jimmy then whispered, looking down again. Robert turned his head to look at him, then covered the hand that was resting on his chest with his own. 

“Jimmy, no. I want to. It wasn’t your fault. Besides, you kept your promise. You didn’t let me drown.” Robert said. “Although I wish you’d told me before that you can do that. I would have felt a little safer.” Jimmy squirmed uncomfortably before answering.

“It is... kind of a ‘last resort’. It is very draining for me and I could have passed out from a lack of oxygen myself.” He said, fidgeting. 

“Ah... well, thank you for saving my life, either way.” Robert said, watching him curiously. He seemed so embarrassed for whatever reason.

“After being the one putting it in danger.” He sighed.

“If you ask me, that stupid moray is to blame, not you.” Robert said soothingly and caressed the back of Jimmy’s hand gently. “I know I should probably be more angry, upset about almost having lost my life but... I just... I can’t help but feel so fucking grateful to be alive, right now. It just... feels so fucking good. You know, for a moment, down there, I just accepted that it was all over. Now that it isn’t, I just... it’s hard to explain.” Jimmy closed his eyes as more tears threatened to well up.

“I know! I saw that, I felt that, I felt when you stopped fighting!” He said and flung himself into Robert’s arms again. “I’m sorry.” He said yet again and Robert wrapped his arms around him tightly, holding him close.

“Shh, it’s alright. Stop apologizing.” He said. “You do realize I’m not going to go back through that tunnel, ever, right?” He then added. Jimmy looked up at him, confused.

“How do you plan to get back? The... moray is gone.” He answered. 

“I’ll have a look around, maybe there’s another way.” Robert shrugged. “If all else fails I’ll become a caveman, I’ll live in here, I’ll make a fire and make you catch fish for me to survive.” He joked, earning himself a little frown. 

“You cannot be serious.” Jimmy said. 

“Oh I am. I’m not going back through that tunnel. No way.” Robert insisted. “If you let go of me I can get up and have a look around.” He then added. Jimmy’s face immediately flushed dark, the green markings on his face darkening dramatically and he scrambled to get off of the human.

“Sorry.” He mumbled, fidgeting nervously. Robert chuckled.

“Hey, it’s ok. Stop freaking out, I’m just joking.” He said and got up. Jimmy looked at him, slightly confused. Robert supposed he was trying to figure out why the human was so cheerful after what had just happened and he couldn’t blame him, he felt strange about it, too, but he couldn’t help it. He was just so fucking happy to be alive. 

Giving Jimmy another little smile, Robert started walking away from the lake, looking around. If he had gotten here under different circumstances, he would have enjoyed exploring the cave, it was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful with the way the sunlight was falling through the cracks in the rock, bushes, flowers and little trees growing in the patches the light hit. Like this, however, all he wanted was to find a way out because he neither wanted to spend the rest of his life in here, nor did he want to go back through that tunnel. 

It seemed to consist of that big cavern with the lake and a few paths, or tunnels, that led away from it. Carefully, Robert made his way down the first tunnel, carefully walking along the wall as it got too dark to see, but it turned out to be a dead end. The second tunnel he tried ended quite suddenly as well, but he could see the outside through a crack that unfortunately was nowhere near big enough for him to get through. At least now he knew he wasn’t underground, or at least not far. 

The third tunnel was a lot longer than the first two and Robert got his hopes up. This had to be it, he thought. It took him a while to reach the end of it, blindly feeling along the wall, until the tunnel went around a corner and suddenly, there was light. Robert gasped and quickened his pace, glad to be able to see and indeed, this time there was a much bigger crack. 

“Fuck, yes!” He yelled in triumph as he hurried towards the gap. It was a tight squeeze, but going sideways, he managed to squeeze through. Looking around, he found himself in a patch of forest and at first he had no idea where he was, until he turned towards the left and spotted a narrow little gravel road. 

A grin spread on his face when he realized how fucking lucky he was. He laughed out loud as he started walking towards the road. This was the same little gravel road he always parked his car at when he went to sing, every single sunday. He knew where he was and it was absolutely perfect. Within a few minutes, he reached his car. He quickly got the flashlight he kept in his car and hurried back to the cave to tell Jimmy the good news. The way back was much faster and easier, having the flashlight helped tremendously. 

When he got back, Jimmy was sitting at the edge of the lake, propped up against a rock, his folded up tail pulled up against his chest, hugging it like a human would hug their knees. He looked worried and sad. Robert had never seen him sit like that, it looked eerily... human. Next to him, Robert spotted his lost snorkel. 

“Hey... good news, I found a way out. It’s not even far from my car.” He said as he walked up to Jimmy, showing him the flashlight he brought. Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m so glad. I’m still so sorry for what I’ve done and it would have been even worse if there wasn’t a way out for you.” He said, hugging his tail more tightly to his chest. Robert sighed and crouched down in front of the merman.

“Please stop feeling so bad about this? It wasn’t your fault and I’m fine.” He said once again, reaching out to touch his arms that he’d slung around his tail. Jimmy gave him a crooked little smile.

“I’ll try. I probably won’t stop feeling like an awful friend for a while, though.” He said, letting go of his tail to take Robert’s hands. “I retrieved your lost... thing, though.”

“You’re not an awful friend! You meant well and you were right, this cave is absolutely perfect for us to meet, the entrance is hidden in the forest, nobody is going to find us here. Thank you for getting the snorkel.” The blonde said and when Jimmy still looked insecure, he chuckled. “Come here, let me hug you.” 

He sat down next to the merman and pulled him into his arms, smiling to himself when he simply melted against him, snuggling close. 

“You are so warm. It’s lovely.” Jimmy sighed happily. Robert chuckled again. He was quite surprised that he liked holding the merman’s rather cool body, but he did. He liked how he snuggled close and seemed to be soaking in his warmth. 

“I thought temperatures don’t bother you?” He asked.

“The cold doesn’t. We do, generally, love warmth, though.” Jimmy admitted. “So much so that I spent two cycle’s earnings on an electrically heated nest for my new home when I moved out of my parents home.” 

“No way! You did?” Robert laughed. “A heated nest... that sounds so cute and comfortable.”

“It is.” The merman agreed. “It’s almost as nice as a human hug.” He said with an adorable little giggle, the frills along his tail fluttering slightly and Robert groaned inwardly. Did he have to be so adorable? Did he have to send him such mixed signals? Was he flirting? Robert just couldn’t figure it out. 

“I’ll gladly share my warmth when we’re hanging out.” He answered. On one hand, he wanted to flirt back, on the other hand he didn’t want to embarrass Jimmy yet again. The merman nodded and hugged him a little more tightly, almost squeezing him a bit.

“I’m so glad this turned out to be fine and that you still want to see me.” He said.

“Of course I do.” Robert said and gave him a little squeeze in turn. By now, he was pretty sure that Jimmy liked him, too, but he had no idea how to proceed or rather, if he should act on it at all. With everything that had happened today, it felt like too much, so he decided to change the subject. “Hey, did you bring that awesome device again? I really want to see a picture of your nest now.” He said.

“Oh! Oh, I did!” Jimmy quipped, sitting up. Robert couldn’t help but smile, happy to see his bubbly, excited persona returning. “I brought food, too! Come!” He added and started to drag himself closer to the water where he’d left his bag. 

“Food?? Oh my god, yes!” Robert gasped, he’d been incredibly curious about merfolk food and now he’d get to try some! “What did you bring?” 

“I don’t know what to call it in your language...” Jimmy huffed. He opened the bag and took out a glass container with a little lid that looked surprisingly human. When he opened it, there were many little green ‘bags’, they were sitting in water, obviously.

“Oh, that looks like some kind of dumpling.” Robert said, leaning in closer to look at them. When he sniffed them, they smelled like fish, which he’d expected, but he also smelled spices. 

“Dump... ling. Dumpling.” Jimmy giggled. “I like that word, it is funny.” He held up the container, offering some to Robert.

“Hmm... how do we know this is ok for me to eat? What’s in there?” He asked worriedly and Jimmy paused.

“Oh. I hadn’t thought about that. Well, they are filled with minced fish meat and some vegetables, herbs and spices.” He said. “The outside is... I think you call it seaweed?”

“Sounds good to me...” Robert mused. He wasn’t particularly picky about food, he’d try anything once. 

“I don’t want to accidentally almost kill you twice on the same day.” Jimmy said worriedly. “I know some fish are poisonous, but we don’t eat those. I really don’t think this would be dangerous for you, but maybe we shouldn’t risk it.”

“I’ll risk it. I feel kind of adventurous now.” Robert grinned and picked up one of the little packs. He popped it into his mouth before Jimmy could stop him and chewed. At first, only the salty flavour hit him, but then all the spices came through. “Oh wow, this is delicious!” He exclaimed.

“Really? Oh, I’m glad you like it.” Jimmy sighed in relief and took one out as well.

“Yes, really. Alright, now we wait to see if it kills me or not, before I have another one.” Robert said teasingly and grinned at the merman. Jimmy glared at him and used the large fin at the end of his tail to splash some water on him.

“Hey. You better not die on me, human.” He said, making Robert laugh. It felt odd, being called that, but he kind of liked it. 

Jimmy went on to put the dumpling in his mouth and made to chew. A strange look appeared on his face and he seemed to have trouble swallowing, cringing when he did.

“Are you ok?” Robert asked worriedly.

“Yes. I have never eaten on land before. It is very dry.” He pouted and put the container down. He obviously couldn’t enjoy the food that way. 

“Oh... I’m sorry.” Robert said. “Well, we need to be in the water to use that... computer of yours, right? So let’s just hop in and continue in there?” He suggested.

“Really?” Jimmy asked. “I mean, do you really want to go into the water? I’d understand if you never wanted to swim with me ever again.” He added and looked down. 

“Honestly? I think I have to. If I don’t get back in there now, the fear will just get worse and I’ll never do it again. I’d rather try to get over it now.” Robert said. Of course the thought of going back in there scared the living hell out of him, especially the thought of going back into the very same water where he’d almost died, but he knew he’d have to do it or it would only get worse.

“You’re probably right.” Jimmy sighed and put the lid back on the container before getting in the water. Robert went to get the snorkel that Jimmy had retrieved from the tunnel and slowly waded into the water. Luckily, the shore was a gentle slope here, unlike the cliff they used to meet at, giving him more time to psych himself up. 

“I feel fine, by the way, I’m definitely not dying.” He grinned at the merman when his head popped back up. 

“That’s good to know.” Jimmy said with a little smile. “Come for a little swim with me and you can have some more.” He added and dove back down. Robert raised an eyebrow at that. 

‘Again with the flirting...’ He thought to himself as he put on his goggles and his snorkel before getting into the water. When he submerged his head for the first time, he instantly felt like he was going to drown again, almost panicking, before he drew his first breath through the snorkel. ‘It’s ok... it’s fine, I can breathe...’ He told himself and opened his eyes to see Jimmy. 

The merman quickly swam up to him and took his hands, giving them a little squeeze, saying something in that beautiful language the human didn’t understand. Robert nodded at him to let him know that he was fine and Jimmy smiled at him before letting go of his hands. He swam a few feet away and twirled around his own axis, then turned back towards Robert. The blonde stared at him.

‘What are you doing?’ He wondered as he watched Jimmy. He was doing this ‘dance’ again, moving through the water elegantly and smoothly, frills flaring, but this time, the pretty markings on his skin were... flashing. They kept getting darker randomly before returning to normal and Robert was confused. ‘I wish I knew what that means. I need to ask him.’

When Jimmy swam right past him the next time, Robert had to hold back from just grabbing him around the middle and pulling him close. He was so pretty and Robert wanted to kiss him so badly, but he refrained. He also remembered that strange thing he had felt earlier, when Jimmy had started to cry, and wondered what that was. It had to have something to do with the merman and Robert would find out, somehow. He kept watching Jimmy’s odd display, his show, or whatever it was.

‘Maybe he’s just having fun, swimming around like that. Maybe it has nothing to do with me.’ Robert thought and started to swim around a little as well before going back to the shore, sitting in the shallow water and waiting for Jimmy to join him. He still felt a little giddy, he didn’t even know if his near death experience was the cause for that or if Jimmy was, but he didn’t really care. It felt good. 

‘I’ll ask him.’ He decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm... :3


	10. A Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A comment Robert makes about Jimmy's brother makes the merman insanely jealous, causing Robert to finally confess his feelings for him. It doesn't go the way he wanted it to.

When Jimmy noticed that Robert had sat down in the sand towards the shore, he swam over to grab his bag before joining him there. While he switched on his computer, he offered the human another dumpling, which Robert gratefully accepted. 

“Thanks. Yum. By the way, did you make these?” He asked.

“Oh. No, I bought them.” Jimmy admitted. “Sorry. I sometimes make food, but I don’t often have the time.”

“Nah, that’s fine, I was just curious! I’m the same, plus I’m absolutely useless in the kitchen.” Robert grinned at his friend. 

“I took some pictures of my home to show you.” Jimmy said excitedly, flashing him a toothy grin in return as he browsed through the computer at a mind boggling speed. Robert was still envious that they had technology like that, a part of him wished he could get his hands on one of those and give it to someone who could look into it so he could have one that’d work on land. 

“That’s awesome... I didn’t bring any more pictures, I pretty much showed you everything I had the last time...” Robert said lamely. He still wanted to ask about Jimmy’s behaviour, but decided to wait a bit and let him show him the pictures first. 

“That is ok. Maybe you can take some more the next time to you... uh... hang up with your friend?” Jimmy suggested. Robert started laughing before he could help himself.

“Hang out. It’s ‘hang out’.” He corrected, smiling at the merman widely. He was just too adorable when he got flustered.

“Sorry.” He mumbled. “I’m still learning.”

“I know... I didn’t mean to be a dick about it. I can’t even physically speak your language, so I’m not gonna judge you for making mistakes in mine.” Robert said quickly.

“Dick?” Jimmy asked, raising an eyebrow at him curiously.

“Oh, uhm...” Robert stammered, it was awkward hearing him say that. “When someone is being mean we say they’re being a dick. Or an asshole.” He clarified and Jimmy’s eyes widened in realization. “I meant to say I didn’t mean to be mean to you or make fun of you.” 

“Ah. I understand.” Jimmy nodded and smiled at him. “You are not a dick.” He added with another grin, making the blonde groan inwardly once more, even more so when Jimmy shuffled closer to show him the screen in his hands. When Robert looked down at it, just below the surface of the water, he gasped.

Jimmy had taken a picture of himself, he’d obviously been holding the camera in his hands, he was curled up in something that looked like a round bed with many pillows and blankets. His tail was curled up underneath him and he was huddled in the blankets, smiling at the camera in the most adorable way. Across the screen, just below his face, there was some writing that Robert couldn’t decipher. 

“Shit, you’re just the cutest thing.” Robert breathed, making Jimmy giggle. “What does that say?” He asked, pointing at the writing. 

“Oh, I was just... how do you say that... boasting? I was so happy about my new purchase, I had to share it with everyone.” Jimmy explained. 

“Right, I get that.” Robert nodded with a smile. “I was like that with my first car, drove around to show it to everyone!”

“We have this... hm, this is difficult to explain. We have this electronic network where we can show pictures or write to each other. It is very useful.” Jimmy continued his explanation. “Especially if you prefer to stay at home but you still want to talk to people, like me.” He added with another giggle that made Robert’s heart pound. 

“That does sound... convenient. I wish we had that, too. We can only call each other on the phone or send letters.” He managed to say, still staring at the adorable picture. When he reached out to point at something else on the screen, he accidentally touched it and another picture appeared. “Oh, oops. Sorry.” He stammered.

“It’s ok.” Jimmy said quickly. It was a picture of another merman, he actually looked a lot like Jimmy, just a little... buffer? The picture showed him in a very dynamic pose, his shoulders squared, fists clenched, a very focused look on his handsome face, his tail was pulled back slightly, apparently to hit the ball that was right on front of him in the water. He looked amazing.

“Who is that?” Robert asked curiously.

“One of my brothers.” Jimmy answered. “He’s a professional player. We have this sport where two teams try to score goals against each other with a ball. Apparently, it’s a lot like your ‘football’. I heard a lot about that when I listened to the radio.” 

“Woah, that is so fucking cool!” Robert gasped. He was a big fan of football, having played quite a bit himself as a teenager. He couldn’t help but think how he’d give anything to see a match underwater. “He looks so strong and cool.” He added and jumped a bit when Jimmy twitched next to him, the frills along his tail flared, then quivered angrily and the merman glared at him.

“He is a lot more athletic than me, yes.” He said curtly.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to make you angry... are you jealous??” Robert asked, amused. 

“Jealous? Me? No!” Jimmy said, but his frills didn’t stop quivering and flaring and he blushed. He quickly switched to another picture, this one showing another room of his home, apparently, but Robert didn’t care much about that right now. Jimmy was jealous and that little fact was making him giddy again. 

“Oh you so are, you don’t like that I said that about your brother!” He said teasingly. His smile faded when Jimmy didn’t answer, he just gripped his computer more tightly, his tail twitching nervously in the water. He was actually upset. This time, Robert apparently HAD been a dick. “Hey... I’m sorry. I was just teasing you. It’s ok.” 

“Why do you... ‘tease’ me? What does it mean?” Jimmy asked in a small voice, looking down at his lap insecurely. Robert took a deep breath before answering. 

“Because I like you.” He said gently, reaching out to take one of Jimmy’s hands into his own. The merman allowed it and slowly looked up at him with wide eyes. “I like you.” Robert repeated. Jimmy blinked at him slowly, then looked down at their hands, then back up, slowly shaking his head. He looked scared. That wasn’t the reaction the blonde had been expecting at all.

“No... no, no.” He said to Robert’s utter shock. He’d been so sure that Jimmy liked him, too. What was wrong?

“N-no?” He stammered. Jimmy let go of his computer, letting it rest in his lap, and raised his free hand to touch Robert’s cheek.

“Oh, you silly human.” He said, sounding sorrowful. Robert leaned into the touch, searching Jimmy’s face in confusion. “Don’t you fall in love with me.” 

“I think it’s a little late for that.” He breathed. “And I think you feel the same.” He added. Jimmy’s frills flared again and he shook his head as he lowered his hand again.

“No.” He said firmly, but his body was saying the opposite, Robert thought. 

“Jimmy... it’s ok. I like you, too. You don’t have to pretend that it’s not true.” Robert said carefully. He let go of Jimmy’s hand and raised it to his face instead, mirroring the merman’s earlier move, touching his cheek and slowly turning his head towards himself, leaning in closer. 

When Jimmy realized what Robert was doing, that he was about to kiss him, his frills flared dramatically again and he pushed the blonde away.

“No!” He repeated, terrified, staring at Robert with wide eyes, then he pushed himself away from the shore, back into the water.

“Wha-...? Jimmy! No, wait, please!” Robert called out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean... let’s talk about this! I’m sorry! Wait!” It was too late, Jimmy was swimming towards that damn tunnel at the speed of light, his computer clutched in one hand, the strap of his bag in the other, he hadn’t even bothered putting his things away. 

Soon, he was gone and Robert gasped when he felt a sudden surge of pain in his head that was gone just as quickly as it had appeared, but it left behind a strange, empty feeling. It wasn’t particularly bad, but he couldn’t help but notice and he knew it must have something to do with Jimmy. 

He stared at the water, unable to process what had just happened, where he’d gone wrong and why Jimmy reacted like that. Why did he tell him not to fall in love with him? Why was he trying to deny that he liked Robert, too? Why was he so scared, why did he not want to be kissed? Robert had been *so sure* that the attraction was mutual. He still was, if he was honest with himself. And what was that odd feeling inside his head? He didn’t like feeling the way he did right now, he wanted that calm, warm feeling back.

‘I’m a fucking moron.’ Robert thought to himself. ‘I ruined it all I scared him away, I moved too fast.’

It occurred to him that he had no way of contacting Jimmy to apologize. He couldn’t send him a letter, he couldn’t call him, there was no way to reach him. He was literally at the bottom of the ocean, miles and miles away, completely and utterly out of reach. If he didn’t come back on his own, Robert would never see him again.

‘Fuck, fuck, FUCK! What did I do??’ He thought, groaning and resting his head in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, the drama :(


	11. Torn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert feels terrible after what happened between him and the merman, so he keeps going back to their cave to get a chance to talk to him. A week later, he finally does.

All day Robert sat in the cave and waited for Jimmy to come back, just in case, but it was all in vain, the merman didn’t show up again. He only drove back home after the sun had set. He wanted to stay and wait, hoping that Jimmy would come back after all, but he had to go to work the next day, so he just couldn’t. 

At home, he tried to go to sleep, but it most definitely wasn’t happening. He couldn’t calm his racing mind enough after everything that had happened that day, from almost drowning to messing up and losing Jimmy’s friendship (and maybe more than that). 

He knew that he shouldn’t have tried to kiss him after he had said no, very clearly at that, and he felt awful about it, but that still didn’t really explain why he just bolted like that. He’d looked so scared and... sad. 

What was up with the strange feeling inside his head? The pain he’d felt when Jimmy had left? He couldn’t explain it, but he was sure it had something to do with him. At times, as they’d held each other in that cave, he’d felt as if he could feel Jimmy’s... presence. Maybe it was some sort of... magic? He almost laughed at himself for thinking that, but then again, a few weeks ago he would have laughed at the thought of merpeople existing. Maybe it wasn’t all that far fetched. 

The feeling was mostly gone, now, but something still lingered and it bothered him. He wanted it to go back to normal, or the way it had been when Jimmy was in his arms. Either way, he needed answers. 

Towards the morning, he finally fell asleep, utterly exhausted, but his sleep wasn’t restful. He was plagued by nightmares of drowning, over and over again, without Jimmy to rescue him, until he finally got up and made a cup of tea. His head was pounding and spinning, he felt awful. When even the tea and a painkiller didn’t help, he decided to call in sick. It’s not like he would be of any use at work, with only a few hours of restless sleep.

He crawled back into bed, miserable, and waited, still thinking about his merman. When after a few hours, he felt a little better, he got up and got dressed, then went to his car to drive back to the shore. Grabbing his flashlight and his guitar, he made his way through the tunnel back into the cave and sat at the shore of the lake, but of course Jimmy wasn’t there. Why would he be, it was a Monday, they never met on Mondays. 

He sighed to himself and took his guitar, might as well get rid of some of the pent up emotions and sing, he didn’t have anything better to do. Now that his head didn’t hurt anymore, he gave it his all, singing his lungs out. The cave actually had decent acoustics for that, he really liked that, but for some reason, it all felt like it didn’t matter because Jimmy wasn’t there to hear him. 

Frustrated, he packed his bags and decided to come back next weekend. Even if it was unlikely, the chances to meet Jimmy would be better. He most definitely wasn’t going to just give up. He needed closure if nothing else.

Luckily, his headache seemed to be gone for good and he returned to work the next day, despite not having slept very well yet again. Somehow, he made it through the week and back to the cave on Saturday. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Jimmy, still. 

On Sunday, after having hauled some of his belongings into the cave (he brought an old, plastic storage box that held some empty notebooks in case he got some ideas for lyrics, a few bottles of water, some spare clothes and some snacks), Robert started playing and singing again.

Just a bit after he’d pulled out his harmonica, in the middle of a solo, he felt like he sensed something, a certain presence, so he opened his eyes and indeed, there he was, Jimmy had finally returned. He was watching him carefully from the edge of the water and Robert could barely believe that he was actually there. Joy threatened to overwhelm him, but then he noticed that Jimmy didn’t look happy to see him at all. He looked so, so sad. 

“Jimmy.” He found himself whispering. He actually wanted to rush there and pull the merman into his arms, never letting go ever again, but the way Jimmy was looking at him made him stay where he was. The other slowly raised himself out of the water, but didn’t come any closer.

“Robert.” He said softly. The blonde felt an odd little ‘ping’ and a growing warmth inside his head as he heard his name. “I am sorry.”

“I... I’m sorry, too.” Robert stammered quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you, or hurt you, or offend you... Will you at least tell me what I did?” He asked and Jimmy shook his head sadly.

“It is not your fault.” He sighed.

“Then tell me what happened. I don’t understand.” Robert said desperately. “I like you. A lot. And I still think you like me, too. I mean... those things you do, in the water... your frills, the dancing, those markings on your skin flashing like that... why were you doing that if that’s not what it means?” He asked. Jimmy looked even more nervous that he had before, his tail twitching as he was trying to find the right words.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice, or at least that you wouldn’t understand.” Jimmy said. Robert shook his head in disbelief.

“But... why were you doing it if you didn’t want me to understand?” He asked. Jimmy looked up at him with a helpless, lost expression on his pretty face.

“I can’t help it. I can’t control it. My body does those things whether I want it to or not.” He explained. Robert’s eyes widened as he took that in. 

“What...? Oh. Fuck. I didn’t know.” He stammered. “I don’t understand. So it had nothing to do with me?” He asked. Jimmy took a deep breath and shrugged.

“I don’t know how to explain. It’s... complicated? Humans are not like this.” He said. “It had everything to do with you.” He then admitted and Robert breathed a sigh of relief. So he hadn’t made a complete fool out of himself.

“Please try to explain it to me? I just want to understand.” He asked again. Jimmy nodded.

“You are right. I do like you.” He said. A big, stupid grin threatened to split Robert’s face and he bit the inside of his cheek to hold back, wanting to let Jimmy speak first. “When one of us falls in love, we start courting the one we fell for, to get their attention. It just happens, we can’t control it.” He mumbled.

“Wow... that... you *were* courting me.” Robert said, still trying to hold back from laughing with joy. “Well, you definitely got my attention.” At least he knew he’d been right, now, that he hadn’t been imagining things. He hadn’t known that Jimmy couldn’t control it, that it just happened, because he *liked* Robert, too. 

“You don’t even know how embarrassed I was when it happened in your presence for the first time... and you told me I was ‘pretty’.” Jimmy huffed. Robert remembered that moment like it had been yesterday. That very first time he went for a swim with him and he just blurted out how pretty he thought the merman was.

“But... why were you embarrassed? Isn’t that what it’s meant for??” Robert asked, utterly confused. “And what do you mean, ‘in my presence’? Has is happened before that?”

“Yes, that’s the intended purpose, but you are a human.” Jimmy sighed. That only confused Robert more. “It has happened before. The first time it happened... oh, no.” He blushed again and hid his face. “The first time it happened was when I was with my family and I was just thinking about you and suddenly my body started doing those things, I couldn’t do anything about it. Of course they noticed immediately and started asking me about who had finally managed to capture my heart. And I couldn’t even tell them!” Jimmy whined. 

Robert couldn’t help but laugh as he imagined that situation, Jimmy just casually sitting with his family and all of a sudden, everyone is prodding him about whom he fell in love with. He still didn’t understand why this was such a big deal, didn’t people fall in love all the time? 

“That’s actually really adorable, you know.” He said with a little smile. “Why is it such a big deal, though? Haven’t you been in love before?” 

“What?” Jimmy asked, blinking at him. “No. No! We are not like that, Robert.” He huffed. “We only fall in love once. Once, Robert. Maybe twice, if the first time doesn’t work out and if we’re lucky and that doesn’t destroy us. We’re not like humans who fall in love with a different person every weekend.” 

“Oh.” Robert said, staring at the merman in disbelief. That sounded incredibly serious and he couldn’t help but feel guilty about the second part of that statement. He was exactly that kind of person, stumbling from one girl to the next, losing his heart briefly before giving it to the next one as soon as the flame had burnt out. He was pretty sure he’d never quite felt like this before, though.

“Do you see now why this is not a good thing?” Jimmy asked. 

“I... yeah.” Robert sighed. “The love of a human isn’t good enough for you, I get that.” He added, looking down. “I don’t understand. Didn’t you tell me that you had... that you... were with girls, before?” He asked. None of this made any sense to him. 

“Yes, but that had nothing to do with love.” Jimmy said. “We’re not prudes, Robert. We can have fun without it meaning anything, but once we fall in love, once we find our mate...” He trailed off. “I didn’t know I could fall for a human. I had no idea this would happen. I thought I would never find love. All of my siblings have already found their mate, I’m a bit of... what do you humans call it... a late bloomer?”

“Maybe that’s because you had to meet me first, you know?” Robert suggested. “Maybe we were meant to be together!” He added and Jimmy glared at him.

“Meant to be? Are you serious? We can never be together! We are way too different! We can’t even live together! This can never be, Robert.” He said. He looked like it pained him to say it out loud and the blonde thought he could feel that it did indeed. He rubbed his temple, he was getting a headache again.

“Then why did you come back?” He whispered.

“To explain. To say farewell.” Jimmy said and Robert groaned.

“Bloody hell, Jimmy. This is stupid! I love you and you love me... and you want to ‘say farewell’? It doesn’t make sense! We could make it work! I’m sure we could!” He said, but Jimmy shook his head. 

“No, Robert. We can’t.” He said, his voice breaking a little. Robert clenched his fist, picking up a bit of sand before letting it drop down again.

“At least... at least explain what you did to me. To my head, I mean.” He demanded. 

“I... what? I did nothing.” Jimmy stammered and his tail twitched nervously again.

“You’re a shitty liar, merman.” Robert said with a glare. The green markings on Jimmy’s face darkened and he looked down. “I can feel... something. It feels like I can feel *you*. In my head. In my... mind.” 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Jimmy said quickly, still not looking up. The frills along his tail were quivering and Robert knew he was lying. 

“The least you can do is tell me the truth, Jimmy.” He said once again. “Please.” He added desperately, but the other just shook his head and turned away from him, to get back into the water.

“I am sorry, Robert.” He said, making to get back in.

“Wait.” The blonde called out. “Please, let me just say this. If you ever change your mind... if you ever want to see me again... I’ll be here. Every weekend. Saturday and Sunday. I promise, I will be here. Keep that in mind.” He said. He wasn’t going to give up, not that easily at least. “I do love you and I am sure we can make it work. I’ll wait for you.” 

Jimmy just stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, then, as if he couldn’t quite help it, he nodded. When he realized what he’d done, which message he’d sent with that little motion of his head, he grimaced and shook his head instead before finally getting into the water and swimming off. 

Robert got up and watched him swim away, down towards the tunnel. The pounding in his head was increasing and suddenly, a flash of blinding, white hot pain shot through his head, leaving him breathless, nauseated and dizzy. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Jimmy’s body convulsing in pain, twitching and twisting horribly before he shuddered and went still. He twitched again and shook himself before finally swimming off. 

Shakily sitting back down, Robert rested his aching head in his palms. Something was wrong, he knew it, this didn’t feel right. There had been a connection, he was *sure* of it, and Jimmy had torn it, he had just ripped it, causing them both pain, although by the looks of it, it had been way worse for the merman. It worried Robert to no end.

He didn’t know what to do, but he knew he wouldn’t give up, even if he had to find a way to find out where the merpeople lived and how to get there. At least Jimmy knew where to find him, although Robert had a feeling that this time, he wouldn’t be coming back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is bad... but it's not the end, I promise. This maybe a spoiler, but I'm still gonna say it because a lot of people hate too much drama and sad endings: this story will have a happy end, I promise! Don't be sad, my friends. <3


	12. A new acquaintance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert feels terrible after what happened, everything affecting him way more than he'd thought possible, to the point of him losing his job.  
After a while, he decides to move to the village close to the cave after finding a job there. Then, something completely unexpected happens.

Robert stayed in the cave for a while, again, hoping against all odds that Jimmy would just change his mind already and come back, but of course he didn’t. 

The first week after Jimmy had left, Robert tried to convince himself that the merman had been right, that it was a good decision to make, that they wouldn’t have been happy together anyways, but it wasn’t actually working. He didn’t even believe it, no matter how much he wanted to or how much he tried.

The second week was worse, he found himself longing, yearning for Jimmy and that odd feeling inside his head was back, nagging. It wasn’t enough to be painful, but it was there, distracting him, causing him to mess up at work enough for his boss to have a talk with him. 

When sometime during the third week, things got so bad that his boss saw no other way but to fire him, Robert didn’t even care. He just shrugged, gathered his belongings from the office and went back home, flopping down on his bed to stare at the ceiling listlessly. It felt like nothing mattered anymore. He had never felt like that before, he had always been so joyful, so full of life. It was agonizing.

As he turned his head, his gaze fell on the jewellery box on his nightstand that held Jimmy’s scale. He picked it up and opened it, taking out the scale to admire it. He hadn’t actually looked at it since he’d tucked it away and seeing it, now, almost took his breath away. The more he held the scale, the stronger his longing for the merman grew, painfully so, until he put it back into the box and moved it out of his sight.

‘I can’t take this anymore, what am I gonna do?’ He thought, raking his hands through his hair in desperation. There was no way he would ever find Jimmy down there, not even if he somehow managed to get enough money to afford scuba gear. Now that he’d lost his job and with the state he was in, that chance was even slimmer. He didn’t even know why he felt so bad, why he just couldn’t get over this, but it was obvious that it wasn’t happening. 

He spent more and more time in ‘his’ cave and the little village close to it, wandering around, hoping, longing, moping and being miserable. After a while, he noticed that he actually felt a little better there, in that village, than he did back at home in Birmingham, maybe because he was closer to the ocean? It was only a little less than 3 hours of a drive, and he didn’t mind that much at all. 

One day, on one of his walks through the village, he spotted a sign in front of one of the seaside hotels. They were looking for someone to take care of their paperwork. Bookings as well as some accounting. Robert could do that, he thought, and he really needed a new job, so he walked right in. About half an hour later, he left with a brand new job. 

‘How am I going to break it to my parents that I’m moving here?’ He wondered as he made his way to buy a newspaper, so he could find an apartment to rent. It wasn’t that far from home at all and he could go to see them whenever he wanted to, but he knew that they’d still be sad to see him leave Birmingham. ‘But I need to do it. I need to be here.’ He decided.

It took him a few more days to find a little apartment, but when he did, he very quickly moved there with the help of a few friends and their cars. He didn’t have all that many belongings, so it wasn’t that big of a deal, but it took some effort. None of them were too surprised to see him move there, they all knew about his love for the ocean and how much it inspired him. They didn’t know about Jimmy, of course, and Robert wasn’t going to tell them.

Living this close to ‘his’ cave, he spent almost every evening there, playing the guitar, the harmonica and singing, writing new songs. He would have been happy, if it hadn’t been for that lost, empty feeling inside him. Something just wasn’t right. His usually so happy, cheerful lyrics got sadder and sadder with every song he jotted down until he finally found the courage to write a song specifically about Jimmy.

“Lost in the darkness, hoping for a sign  
Instead there is only silence  
Can't you hear my screams?  
Never stop hoping  
Need to know where you are  
But one thing is for sure  
You're always in my heart...”

He almost scratched everything as soon as the first verse was written down, but then he paused. Yes, it was cheesy, it was dramatic, but... it was exactly what he felt. He couldn’t really be honest with anybody else, but he might as well be honest with himself.

“I'll find you somewhere  
I'll keep on trying until my dying day  
I just need to know whatever has happened  
The truth will free my soul  
Wherever you are, I won't stop searching  
Whatever it takes, I need to know...”

He picked up his guitar and started plucking the strings gently, a slow, sad melody pouring from the instrument, then he started singing the lyrics he’d just written down. It took him a while, but after a few tries, the song slowly came together, beautiful and sad. 

When he made to put his guitar down to take a bottle of water out of his box, he jumped at a sudden splashing noise. Excitement bubbled up inside him. Could it be...? He quickly turned back around to the water and indeed... there was someone there but...

It wasn’t Jimmy. 

It was another merman, who looked just as frightened and spooked as Jimmy had when they’d first met. He looked nothing like Jimmy, his hair was a dark, almost reddish, sandy brown and he didn’t seem to have the same markings on his skin that Jimmy had, or at least his weren’t as obvious. When he pulled himself up on the shore, Robert noticed that his tail was a pale beige rather than the vibrant color he’d seen the other males with in pictures. It reminded him more of Jimmy’s sisters and his mother, although his face looked decidedly masculine. Not that it mattered, though.

Robert was torn between his disappointment and his excitement. It wasn’t his Jimmy, of course, but it was another merman. He hadn’t expected to *ever* meet another one of Jimmy’s kind, so this caught him totally off guard. Maybe he knew Jimmy? This couldn’t be a coincidence! When the other cleared his throat and spoke up, he knew that it wasn’t.

“R-Ro... bert?” He croaked, clearly not used to speaking this way. Excitement chased Robert’s disappointment away at the speed of light and he nodded quickly, still staring at the merman with wide eyes. He couldn’t believe this was happening, he’d given up hope already, but now it had been rekindled. 

“Yes! Yes, I’m Robert.” He said eagerly. “Who are you? Do you know Jimmy? Wait... that’s not his actual name...” He added, cursing himself. He had no idea how to make this merman understand what he meant, who he was talking about. He couldn’t even make the sound that was Jimmy’s actual name, his merman name. 

“Jim... my. Yes.” The other croaked slowly, nodding and Robert breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, Jimmy had told this merman about him, and he hadn’t neglected to mention the name he’d been given. 

The other then motioned for him to come closer and Robert noticed that he was holding a similar device to the one Jimmy had, maybe a little smaller, chunkier. An older model? He slowly went closer, not wanting to scare the merman, and knelt down in the sand in front of him. Now that he was closer, he could tell that he did have similar markings to the ones Jimmy had, they were just much closer to the color of his skin. The shapes were rounder and softer than Jimmy’s. 

When he turned the device to show the screen to him, Robert gasped. It was a picture of Jimmy, but this one didn’t give him joy, unlike the other ones of him he’d seen so far. He seemed to be in a bed, but it wasn’t the one in his home, it wasn’t the nice, cozy warm one. It looked smaller and less comfortable and there were things around him that Robert didn’t recognize, futuristic looking devices. 

More than that, though, Jimmy looked sick. He seemed to be either asleep or unconscious, he was even paler than usual and the pretty markings on his skin were almost faded completely, he looked anemic. He gasped again when he realized that the room he was in must be a hospital.

“Oh no. Jimmy. Fuck.” He cursed, still staring at the picture. “What happened to him?”

The merman didn’t answer verbally, but he raised a hand and pointed at Robert. He had a sad and slightly confused, questioning look on his face, but Robert understood. He knew exactly what was wrong with Jimmy. The same thing that had been ailing him. 

“The torn bond.” He whispered, earning himself another confused look by the merman. 

Robert had no idea how much english this one understood, it wasn’t much by the look of it, but he had to try to explain. He raised his hand and pointed at his head, then at his chest.

“We had... a bond. A link. A connection.” He started. When the other didn’t look like he understood, Robert began gesturing between their heads, drawing invisible lines between them, until finally a look a realization appeared on his face. 

“But Jimmy... he tore it. He ripped it apart.” He explained. He grasped his own left hand with his right hand, making a connection, then he ripped them apart to show the merman what he meant. 

At first, the other didn’t seem to understand, so Robert made the gesture he’d used for the bond again, then he ‘ripped’ it again, and finally, he seemed to get it. A shocked expression appeared on his handsome face and he touched his chest, shaken. Then he nodded slowly. It was almost like he hadn’t expected this and it scared him, but like it explained Jimmy’s current state.

“Can you help? Jimmy needs me. I need Jimmy. We need to be... close.” He said slowly, but the merman wasn’t even listening to him anymore. He took his computer and quickly shoved it into the little backpack he was wearing, then got into the water. He made to swim off, leaving Robert desperate and confused, but then he paused and looked at the human again. He raised his hand out of the water and pointed at Robert, then at the ground beneath his feet.

“What...? Oh. Stay?” Robert wondered, then nodded. “Yes, I’ll stay here. I will wait.” He said, actually sitting down to make it clear that he wasn’t going anywhere. 

Was this new merman going to get Jimmy? Was he going to help them? Either way, he nodded and dove down, swimming off as fast as he could. 

‘Fuck, please don’t let this be a dream, please let it be true, please, please, please...’ Robert thought to himself desperately. ‘I hope he’s alright, I hope he’ll make it...’ He felt like he should have known that it would affect Jimmy a lot more than him, that it would be a lot worse for him. He remembered Jimmy telling him that something like that could ‘destroy’ merpeople and now he knew exactly what that meant. 

Now, all he could do was wait and hope that he’d understood the merman correctly, that he was going to bring Jimmy here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all. I'm on a roll. I can't stop writing this, I could publish like 2 chapters a day currently. I don't know what is up with that. I apologize in advance for the moment it'll slow down again.
> 
> Now, There's a few things to be said about this chapter:
> 
> The song Robert sings is 'Somewhere' by Within Temptation. Now, you might think "A non-LZ song in a LZ fic?? What is WRONG with you??" but... the lyrics of this song fit their situation SO PERFECTLY, I had to chose this one! Don't hate me!  
You can listen to a wonderful version of the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsU5K05cjhA  
Keep a box of tissues at hand, though.
> 
> Now, this new merman... is he based on John Paul Jones? Absolutely. Is there something else about him...? I'll leave that up to your headcanons, I have my own. :)


	13. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert waits and waits for the merman to come back, hoping he is just going to bring Jimmy back to him. He gets much, much more than he hoped for, finally getting Jimmy back.

Even though Robert knew very well that it took quite a while for Jimmy to swim all the way to the shore and that the merman he’d just spoken to wouldn’t be back that quickly, he got impatient after half an hour and began pacing, his thoughts racing.

What if he’d only misunderstood and the merman wasn’t coming back? What if he was never going to see Jimmy again? What if Jimmy... what if he... what if he didn’t make it...? He closed his eyes against the pain that thought brought and took a deep breath. 

‘I have to try to be patient... I can’t do anything about it anyways, I just have to... wait.’ He thought to himself. Robert hated waiting. He walked around a little more, around the lake inside the cave, a few times, then he sat down and idly plucked the strings of his guitar a little, but he was way too nervous to actually play anything. 

Just when he thought that he was losing his mind, hours and hours after the merman had left, Robert finally saw something in the water. He immediately jumped to his feet and waded into the water to get closer, to get a better look and indeed, there were... merpeople. Not just one. Several. 

Robert gasped and took a step back again, worried. He didn’t know whether they were peaceful or not. What if they hadn’t come to bring Jimmy to him but rather to get revenge or to... eliminate a threat? He was the only human who even knew about their existence after all. As they got closer to the surface, though, he noticed that one of them was carrying another in his arms. He gasped again when he saw that it was Jimmy. He was still unconscious.

“Oh my god...” He whispered before shaking himself out of his initial shock and waded back into the water so they could reach him more easily. Jimmy needed him. Finally, they made it to the surface and Robert immediately recognized the merman that was carrying Jimmy from the pictures he’d been shown. It was his father. The merman Robert had spoken to earlier that day was there as well, then there seemed to be one of his brothers and one of his sisters, although Robert wasn’t sure about that.

As he surfaced, Jimmy’s father slowed down, looking at Robert warily for a moment before carefully swimming up to him. He stopped when his tail hit the sand of the shore and Robert knelt down in the water in front of him. Still cautious, Jimmy’s father considered him for a moment before leaning in, slowly and carefully placing his son’s unconscious body in the human’s arms.

“Jimmy...” Robert breathed as he held him gently, keeping him below the surface of the water so he could breathe. He was unconscious and Robert had no idea if he could use his lungs, or switch, right now. He could hardly believe that this was happening, that this was real, that he finally had his friend, his... love back. 

The other merpeople had gathered around them by now, but Robert hadn’t even looked up at them yet, too shaken by the fact that Jimmy was actually in his arms again. Finally. After all that time. All those weeks he’d spent longing. When he did look up at them, he almost jumped at how close they were and how they were looking at him. They all seemed worried and wary of him, but they were obviously much more worried about Jimmy. There was some curiosity in their eyes as well.

“I... thank you. For bringing him to me.” Robert said slowly once he found his voice again, but he was only met with confused looks. These merpeople didn’t speak any human language. He had no idea what to do, he needed to know how to help Jimmy! “You have no idea what I’m saying.” He stated blankly and sighed when neither of them even nodded or shook their heads. They just didn’t understand him at all. 

“I need to know how to help him.” He said desperately. He didn’t know what to do. Jimmy was with him now, but he was unconscious and Robert didn’t know how to help. Just being close to him didn’t seem to do the trick. The merpeople gave him an equally helpless look, then glanced back to where they came from, the tunnel that led back to the ocean. Maybe they brought someone else, someone who could help?

After a few more minutes of awkward silence, Jimmy’s sister nudged her brother and pointed at the water, breathing a sigh of relief. Robert couldn’t see what they were on about, but soon, three more merpeople emerged from the water. One of them was Jimmy’s mother, Robert recognized her from the photos, as well as Jimmy’s other brother, the football player, the one he’d teased Jimmy about. 

They were helping another merman, one Robert had never seen before. He was old, very old by the looks of it and Jimmy’s mother was supporting him on one side, his brother on the other. Robert was almost bursting at the seams with curiosity on one hand and utter desperation on the other hand. He needed someone to communicate with, someone to tell him how to help Jimmy! 

They helped the old merman sit on the soft sand of the shore, close to Robert, just next to him, and he took a moment to catch his breath now that he was on land. His tail was a rusty red color and Robert supposed his hair must have been, at some point in his life, too, but now it was pure white and quite thin, held back in a little ponytail. 

Robert couldn’t help but feel completely and utterly overwhelmed, being surrounded by so many merpeople. He’d always believed that Jimmy would be the only one he’d ever see, but now there were no less than eight of them right there with him. Jimmy’s parents, a friend, three of his siblings and the old man, as well as Jimmy himself, of course. 

“D-do... any of you... understand what I’m saying?” Robert asked carefully. At first, he was met with silence again, but then the old man cleared his throat and nodded.

“That is why... I am here.” He said. His voice sounded rough and he had a very strong, thick accent that made it a little hard for Robert to understand him, but he was so relieved that there was finally someone to talk to. 

“Can you tell me how to help him? What can I do?” Robert asked immediately. He didn’t have time to be polite and introduce himself or ask any other questions, the only thing that mattered right now was helping Jimmy. 

“The first step is made, he is with you now.” The old man said and offered Robert an encouraging little smile. “You have to repair the broken bond.” He added. Of course.

“Right.” Robert said with a nod, looking down at Jimmy’s face. He looked so different. So weak. His skin was even paler than usually and the beautiful green markings on his skin were almost invisible, drained of blood. “But how? I don’t know how.” 

“Can you feel his presence?” The old merman asked. Robert blinked at him in surprise, then looked down at Jimmy again. He’d been too overwhelmed to even try that until now and he couldn’t feel anything, really. He closed his eyes and focused on Jimmy.

“Barely. It’s so weak...” He said after a while. It was there, but it felt like he couldn’t reach it. It felt so small and far away. The old man sighed, but nodded.

“It took us too long to understand what happened to him.” He admitted. “Try to reach out to him.”

Again, Robert wondered how on earth he was supposed to do that, he had no idea how this bond worked, what it even meant, but he’d have to figure it out. He closed his eyes again and focused on the weak presence he could feel with his mind. Robert didn’t really know what to do with it, so he started imagining the bond as a physical thing between them. He pictured himself gently nudging it or caressing it, but it felt like he was hitting a wall. He shook his head.

“It feels like I can’t get through to him.” He said sadly, looking up at the old merman, who sighed.

“Oh you stubborn child.” He said, shaking his head as he looked at Jimmy. “It runs in the family.” He added and glared at Jimmy’s father, who gave him a very confused look. “He is blocking you. He still thinks he can stop this if he tries hard enough.” 

Robert stared at the old man with wide eyes, he didn’t understand what that meant. Why would Jimmy do that? He knew Jimmy was stubborn and proud, apparently the old man had been aware of that as well, but Robert didn’t know why Jimmy didn’t want him to repair the bond. Was he too proud to be bonded with a mere human? Was he afraid? 

The old man looked at Jimmy’s father again and opened his mouth to say something, but when he did, the most horrifying, terrible screeching sound Robert had ever heard left his mouth. It hurt Robert’s ears, making him raise his hands to cover them quickly, almost letting Jimmy slip off of his lap. The other merpeople had been startled as well and quickly jumped back into the water.

“Oh no. I am sorry. I forgot what happens when we attempt to speak our language on land.” The old man apologized when Robert lowered his hands and gathered Jimmy back against his chest, staring at the old merman with wide eyes. He looked embarrassed and sheepish.

“It’s... alright.” He said with difficulty. His ears were still ringing. 

“I have to speak to his father. He knows him best, maybe he has an idea.” The old man said and slowly got into the water as well. Jimmy’s mother came to help him as soon as she realized what he was doing. Faintly, Robert could hear them talk in the water. He hoped they would come up with an idea. He couldn’t believe Jimmy would be so stubborn, that he’d rather die than being with him. Maybe he wasn’t doing it on purpose. He was unconscious after all. 

It took them a while to come back to the surface and Robert looked at the old man questioningly. 

“His father will try to reach him through their family bond.” He explained. Jimmy’s father came closer, sitting right next to Robert and carefully took Jimmy’s hand into his own, reaching out with the other to brush some hair out of his face gently. 

“Family bond?” Robert asked curiously. 

“Every family has a mental bond, similar to the one you have... or should have... with... what do you call him? Jimmy?” The old man explained and Robert nodded. “Family bonds are not as strong as lover’s bonds, they are mainly used for telepathic communication over short distances, they don’t work over just any distance, like lover’s bonds.” 

Robert tried to make sense of that, his head spinning. There were different types of bonds? What exactly were the differences? He wanted to understand, to ask a million questions, but right now, he just hoped that Jimmy’s father would get through to him. He looked up at the merman, once again marvelling at just how much Jimmy looked like his father, much more so than his brothers, actually. His eyes were closed now and he had a little frown on his face, focusing on his son.

After a few minutes, Jimmy started trembling in Robert’s arms, twitching slightly from time to time. He looked like he was in pain, his features tense now. Jimmy’s father looked more intense than before, his grip on the younger merman’s hand tightening. It almost seemed like they were having an argument. Robert reached out, putting his hand on the one Jimmy’s father had rested on Jimmy’s arm.

“Please don’t hurt him.” He said when the other merman looked up at him in surprise. For some reason, he seemed to understand what Robert meant, he nodded and eased up on him a little. Jimmy stopped trembling and twitching, his body went lax in Robert’s arms once again. After a while, Jimmy’s father opened his eyes again, looked at the old merman and nodded.

“Try to reach him again.” The old man prompted. 

‘God, I hope this works... please let me in, Jimmy, please...’ Robert thought as he closed his eyes once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Jimmy finally going to accept Robert reaching out to him? Will they be able to repair their bond? What even IS the bond? Who is the old merman?? Tune in next time to find out! :P


	14. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert finally gets through to Jimmy and strengthens the bond. As he waits for Jimmy to wake up, he learns some more about the merpeople.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt guilty about that cliffhanger, so here's the new chapter already! :P

It took him a moment to find that weak little presence again and when he did, it felt a little different than before. It was warmer, less ‘hard’ and rigid than before, but Robert thought he also sensed some defiance and turmoil there. Maybe he was still upset from the ‘talk’ with his Dad, he supposed. It hadn’t seemed like a nice, easy conversation, after all. 

Again, Robert found himself at a loss for what to do with this ‘bond’ thing. He felt Jimmy and he didn’t seem to push him away anymore, but what was he supposed to do next? He sighed to himself and pulled Jimmy’s body a little closer to his own, holding him tight. Opening his eyes, he looked down at him and gently caressed his cool cheek. 

He hated how lifeless Jimmy looked, how he was just lying there, not moving, pale and cold. He hated how his frills that would usually flare and ripple when he got excited were just floating in the water. He wanted that back. He wanted to see Jimmy smile again, he wanted to hear his laughter. 

“Is he still fighting it?” The old man asked carefully as he saw Robert open his eyes, but the blonde shook his head.

“No... I don’t think so, at least. I can reach him now. I just... don’t know what to do. This whole bond thing is such a mystery to me, I have no idea what to do with it.” He admitted. 

“Ah... well, I am no expert, I have never found a mate, to be quite honest with you...” The old man admitted with a sigh. “At least he’s no longer being so stubborn. Let me talk to his family again, maybe they can help, they all have mates after all.” He added and looked over at Jimmy’s parents, nodding at the water. They hurried to help him once again. 

“Until we’re back, just... try to interact with him, focus on him. He needs to feel you’re there with him.” The old merman said before diving down into the water, leaving Robert and Jimmy alone.

The human nodded and did just that. Once more he started picturing their bond as something he could see and touch, just to help him make it seem more ‘real’. He imagined nuzzling whatever it was that he felt there, Jimmy’s mind, his conscience or whatever it was. He imagined himself lovingly wrapping his own mind around Jimmy’s, like a hug, and gasped when slowly, warmth filled his body and mind. It felt wonderful.

‘It’s working!’ He thought, excited, but he didn’t have much time to dwell on it. The old merman came back to the shore, huffing and puffing from the exertion as he sat on the soft sand. When he saw Robert’s smile, he couldn’t help but smile in turn.

“I take it you made some progress?” He asked and Robert nodded.

“I think so! I felt... warmth. Like he’s accepting me. I can feel him more easily, too, now.” He tried to explain. 

“That’s good. That’s very good.” He answered, pleased. “The others said... well, none of us have any experience with broken bonds and the complications caused by it, but... it should just take some time now. The bond has to heal, it has to grow strong over time. You’ll have to stay close. It will be easier once he is fully conscious.”

“That makes sense. Do you suppose he’ll wake up soon?” Robert wondered. The old man shrugged.

“I hope so. Now that you’ve made a connection, he should start to recover.” He said. Robert nodded, thoughtfully looking down at Jimmy’s face. He wasn’t focussing too hard anymore, but even so, he could feel Jimmy clearly now, he didn’t even have to look for it. That had to be a good thing.

He looked up when someone else emerged from the water, coming up next to him and Jimmy. This time, his mother had come to check on her son and Robert smiled at her, motioning for her to come closer when she seemed to hesitate. They still didn’t trust him completely and he couldn’t blame them for that. 

She slowly came up to him to look down at Jimmy and reached out to caress his face, but pulled back her hand and looked up at Robert. It stung to see fear in her eyes.

“Oh, please don’t be afraid of me...” He said softly. He gestured for her to reach out and touch Jimmy again, turning towards her a little more. She paused for a second before finally going ahead, gently cupping Jimmy’s cheek in her hand. Robert glanced at the old man and sighed.

“You... you are not related to them, are you? I kind of wish you were so you could talk to them, you know, in your mind, while you’re up here.” He sighed. “I just want to talk to them. I don’t want them to be afraid of me.” It bothered him that he couldn’t connect with them. He always had such an easy time talking to people and connecting with them, making friends, but with the merpeople, it was almost impossible despite Robert’s social skills.

“No, I am not related to them. Unfortunately. Or fortunately, depending.” He chuckled and Robert raised an eyebrow at him. “They’ll get used to you, don’t you worry. I can tell that you are a good man. They will see that, too.”

“I... uhm... thank you.” Robert said, feeling flattered. He glanced back at Jimmy’s Mom, she was now gently caressing his hair, fixing some of the jewellery he was still wearing. He gave her a big smile when she looked up at him that only got bigger when she returned it. For some reason, he liked her already, despite not being able to talk to her. She had such a sweet, kind face and a calming presence. “Why did you say ‘fortunately’? They seem like such nice people.” He then asked the old man, who chuckled again.

“Oh, they are, don’t get me wrong. But they are also very, very stubborn, proud and vain. At least the men are.” He added with a crooked little smile. “It tends to get them into trouble more often than not.” 

“You seem to know them pretty well.” Robert mused.

“Hmmmhm.” The old man nodded. “I am the head of the institute... Jimmy... works for.” He said. Now that explained a lot, Robert thought. “When he started, as my trainee, many cycles ago... his parents weren’t too happy about it. They wanted him to have a different, a better, more prestigious career. I had to convince them to let him study with me. It wasn’t easy.”

“Oh wow... yeah, he told me that your profession is... well, going extinct, if you will.” Robert sighed. 

“Unfortunately. I feel like there is still so much to discover, especially now that *this* happened.” The old man said with a wistful smile. “Jimmy was such a curious little boy back then, so full of passion and thirst for knowledge... I would have regretted not fighting for him.” 

“Well, I have a feeling he would have gotten what he wanted, regardless.” Robert chuckled. “He always seems to.”

“Probably.” The old man nodded. “He was the best trainee I ever had, and now he’s the best scientist working for the institute. Not that there’s many of us left, it’s really just him, me and the young man over there.” He added, nodding towards the merman Robert had ‘talked’ to earlier that day.

“Oh! He’s a... uhm... humanologist, too?” He asked clumsily. “That’s why he wasn’t afraid to come here.”

“Oh, he was. We all were. Luckily it all turned out to be alright.” The old man sighed. “He’s the one who figured out what exactly was wrong with your mate. Of course we knew he’d fallen in love and it apparently hadn’t worked out, but we had no idea he’d fallen for a human, but from what I heard, he has recently gotten a tad bit intoxicated with his friend over there and let some things slip.” 

Robert blinked at him in surprise, then looked down at Jimmy. He could barely imagine Jimmy getting drunk and just telling that other merman about him, but that would explain how he knew his name. 

“You have no idea how grateful I am that he came here, that he found me.” Robert whispered in disbelief. “I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t...” He said shakily and closed his eyes.

“It took him more than a week to find the cave Jimmy mentioned. The ocean is vast and this cliff has a few such caves.” The old man explained.

“Oh... what... what if I hadn’t been here when he found it??” Robert gasped. 

“Don’t think about it.” The old merman advised, shaking his head. “He did find you and we brought him to you and everything is going to be fine.” 

“You’re right... no point in dwelling on it.” Robert sighed. “I promised him I’d wait here for him. I’m glad I kept my promise.” 

“What made you keep it? It must have been weeks since he left.” The old man asked, intrigued. Robert shrugged.

“I couldn’t get him out of my mind. When he tore that bond... it felt so *wrong*. I just knew it wasn’t right. I knew something bad would happen.” Robert sighed. “I knew I had to try to reach him, somehow. I just didn’t have the means to.”

“Hmm... you are exceptional. It doesn’t really surprise me anymore that Jimmy bonded with you. You share the same kind of passion and loyalty.” The old man said with a pleased little smile. 

“Can I ask you something?” Robert said carefully and when he nodded, he carried on. “How come you speak my language so well? I mean, I get that you’re the head of the institute, but... were you there, back then, when... when you... you know, captured humans?” He asked, looking down.

He’d had the suspicion for a while now, but Jimmy had made it seem like it had been even longer ago. Of course he had no idea how old this merman was, but he couldn’t possibly be hundreds of years old. The way he spoke intrigued him. While his accent was a lot stronger and thicker than Jimmy’s, his grammar was much better, he seemed to speak a lot more naturally than Jimmy had in the beginning. 

“Ah, he told you about that, hm?” The old man chuckled. “I was, yes, but that was such a long time ago. I got some more practice when Jimmy recently started asking him to speak human, english, with him.” 

“Oh! That’s how he got so much better so quickly! He didn’t practice alone!” Robert gasped. 

“No. We spent hours in the air chamber of the institute, talking. I should have suspected something was up back then, but I thought it was just a new obsession of his.” The old man shrugged. “He was awful, at first, but he picked it up quickly.”

“He did...” Robert breathed, looking down at Jimmy in awe. He’d gone to such lengths to be able to talk to him. “What was it like, back then? With the humans you captured, I mean.” Robert asked. 

“Well... it was a long, long time ago. I wouldn’t use the word ‘captured’, you know. I’d say ‘rescued’.” The old man said with a smile. “Their ship sunk, very close to our city. They were trapped inside, there was still air in there, but they could not get out and the hull threatened to break.”

“Oh my god.” Robert gasped, that sounded terrifying.

“I was very young back then, just a student at the institute. We discovered the ship and the people inside, calling for help, but the professors told us we couldn’t help them. They told us we had to wait for them to die before getting closer to the shipwreck.” The old man continued and looked down as if he was ashamed. “Of course we couldn’t do that. A few of my fellow students went against their orders, stole one of the institute’s vehicles and got them out of there.” 

“What?? They wanted you to let them drown??” Robert asked. “Why??” He couldn’t believe they’d be so cruel. 

“They were terrified of being discovered by humans, but we didn’t understand. We didn’t agree with them. We couldn’t just let them drown when it was so easy for us to rescue them. So we refused to listen to them and they couldn’t stop us. Of course, after that, we couldn’t let the humans go back on land.” He explained. “They had to stay with us.” 

“I see... I wonder why Jimmy didn’t tell me that.” Robert mused. “He must have known the whole story?”

“He did. Maybe he didn’t want you to know what those professors were like, that they would have let those people die.” The old man mused. “He didn’t want you to feel like we’re cruel, cold-hearted beings.” 

“But I know that. I know you’re not.” Robert said, looking down at Jimmy. His mother was still sitting with him, holding one of his hands, apparently listening to their conversation even though she didn’t understand a word. 

“Those humans quickly became my friends. The old professors refused to interact with them in any way, but we had no such qualms. They helped us with our research and quickly, the old professors became absolutely obsolete because we advanced so quickly with the help of the humans.” The old man chuckled with a proud smile. “They soon retired and I took over as the head of the institute. The youngest to ever lead the institute.” 

“That’s amazing.” Robert smiled. “Well, the old ways aren’t always the best. Hey, if they were your friends... did they ever give you a human name, like I did with Jimmy?” Robert asked curiously. It was getting awfully confusing thinking about them without having a name for each of them.

“Oh, they did, yes. My human name is... Benjamin.” The old man said with a wistful little smile. Robert wondered if he missed his friends from back in the day.

“Nice to meet you, Benjamin. My name is Robert.” The blonde said and extended his hand to the old man. It felt good to finally have a name for at least one of the merpeople. The old man looked up at him and gave him a wide, friendly smile.

“It’s a pleasure, Robert.” He answered and shook his hand. Jimmy’s mother watched them curiously, then touched Robert’s shoulder and pointed down at Jimmy. Robert immediately followed her gesture and smiled when he saw Jimmy stirring. 

“Oh, hey. Do you think he’s waking up?” He asked.

“He seems to be...” Benjamin mused. 

“He looks healthier. He’s got some color back.” Robert noticed. Jimmy didn’t look quite as pale and sickly anymore and his markings looked stronger. “I can feel his presence more easily now, too.” He gently raised him up a little, just above the surface of the water, and Jimmy coughed, then drew a breath. That seemed to work just fine and Robert looked over at Benjamin excitedly.

“That’s a good sign.” The old man answered with another smile. “Well, there isn’t much we can do but wait.”

“Hmmmmhm.” Robert sighed. “Do you think hearing me sing might help? That’s how he found me after all, he liked my music. I wrote a song for him.”

“Well, it certainly won’t hurt.” Benjamin said. “I would love to hear it.”

Robert beamed at him, then looked at Jimmy’s mother, gesturing for her to hold her son instead of him. She nodded and gently took him from the human, cradling him lovingly. Robert got up and quickly got his guitar, then sat as close to Jimmy as the water allowed without getting the instrument wet. He cleared his throat and plucked the strings, blushing a little when Jimmy’s siblings, his father and his friend came to the surface curiously to listen as well. He closed his eyes and began singing the song he’d been working on when Jimmy’s co-worker found him.

“Lost in the darkness, hoping for a sign  
Instead there is only silence  
Can't you hear my screams?  
Never stop hoping  
Need to know where you are  
But one thing is for sure  
You're always in my heart

I'll find you somewhere  
I'll keep on trying until my dying day  
I just need to know whatever has happened  
The truth will free my soul.”

Halfway through the song, he sensed something through their bond. It was like he senses a whole whirlwind of emotions, pain, sorrow, but also excitement and love. Jimmy was most definitely aware of his singing, so Robert carried on, putting even more passion and soul into the song.

“Lost in the darkness, try to find your way home  
I want to embrace you and never let you go  
Almost hope you're in heaven  
so no one can hurt your soul  
Living in agony cause I just do not know  
Where you are

I'll find you somewhere  
I'll keep on trying until my dying day  
I just need to know whatever has happened  
The truth will free my soul

Wherever you are, I won't stop searching  
Whatever it takes, I need to know

I'll find you somewhere  
I'll keep on trying until my dying day  
I just need to know whatever has happened  
The truth will free my soul.”

When he was done and opened his eyes, everyone was looking at him with big eyes, and when Robert looked at where Jimmy was resting in his mother’s arms, he gasped. His eyes were opened, he looked tired and weak, but he was conscious. When Robert looked at him, the corner of his mouth twitched weakly and he smiled, just a little.

“Oh, you sentimental human, you.” He said in a little whisper and Robert couldn’t help the surprised laugh that escaped his mouth. That wasn’t exactly the reaction he’d expected, but Jimmy was Jimmy, after all.

“I don’t know, I’m not the one literally *dying*...” He said teasingly and winked at Jimmy. He was trying to play it cool, but he really wanted to drop his guitar into the water and rush over there to cover Jimmy’s entire face in little kisses.

“Shut up.” Jimmy said, crinkled his nose in mock disgust and raised a hand to splash some water in Robert’s general direction. This time, the singer couldn’t hold back, he tossed his guitar on the beach carelessly and knelt in the water next to them, reaching out to take Jimmy’s hands into his own. Jimmy watched him, then looked around at everyone else before his gaze settled back on Robert. “I am sorry I was so stubborn.”

“Would you really rather die than be with me?” Robert asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a sappy, cheesy, sentimental man! Make no mistake, Jimmy loves it, even if he pretends not to!


	15. Change the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Jimmy is conscious again and Robert gets to talk to him about what happened.

Jimmy looked up at him with wide eyes and his hold on Robert’s hands tightened a little. Through their bond, Robert felt another whirlwind of emotions that he couldn’t quite place and Jimmy lowered his gaze before shaking his head.

“I don’t want to die. I want to live. I want to be with you.” He said sadly. “But... how?” Robert gave his hands an encouraging little squeeze.

“I don’t know. But we’ll make it work. Somehow.” He said. “We’ll figure it out.” 

“How??” Jimmy asked almost desperately. “We can’t even be in the same element for long enough... I can’t stay on land for very long and you can’t be in the water for too long. How is this ever supposed to work?”

“I don’t know. But it has to. I’m not gonna let you die.” Robert said firmly. “Neither is your family.” He added. Jimmy looked up, at his father, then at his mother, and closed his eyes. Robert thought he felt some shame through their bond but he wasn’t quite sure. After a while, another wave of sorrow hit him through the bond.

“Don’t you want a normal life? A wife? Children?” Jimmy asked. “Neither of us can ever have that, now.” Robert looked down at their hands and swallowed. 

“I... yeah. I always wanted that. But... I also believe in destiny. I feel like this was meant to be.” He answered. Jimmy gave him an odd look at that. “Is that why you broke the bond? You wanted us to have normal lives?” He asked. Jimmy nodded.

“I thought that if I broke it and left... I could just forget about you and move on. I thought you could do the same and live a normal, happy life, with someone more... like you.” He sighed. “But it didn’t work. I couldn’t forget about you. I got weaker and weaker, I felt worse and worse, by the day. The remnants of the broken bond... hurt me. It was awful. They were always there, they wouldn’t go away. I couldn’t stop it.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Robert whispered.

“Sometimes, it was like it wasn’t broken properly. Sometimes, I thought I could feel your... longing.” Jimmy said, then. 

“You probably did. It’s not like it didn’t affect me. Nowhere near as much as it affected you, of course, but... I felt it. Only a few days after you left, I lost my job because I couldn’t focus on anything. My head hurt all the time. I always had that weird feeling... and I missed you. So much. I longed to see you again, I yearned for you. I bet that is what you felt.” Robert explained.

“I had no idea that it’d affect you that much.” Jimmy said, surprised.

“Yeah... it got a little better after I moved here. Being closer to the ocean... helped. I found a job here and I live here now.” Robert said. “I miss my family and my friends... but I felt like I needed to be here, just in case.” Jimmy just blinked at him with wide eyes.

“You live here now? I thought you’d just forget about me and move on.” He whispered in awe. “I thought It wouldn't matter to you... I thought humans don’t bond like we do.” 

“So did I.” Robert said and shrugged. “We were wrong, I suppose. Because I couldn’t forget about you. I tried, even though I didn’t want to. I wanted you back. I wanted to be with you.”

A small smile appeared on Jimmy’s face and almost immediately, Robert felt the warmth through their bond as he returned the smile. The merman then looked up at his mother, who was still holding him. Some silent communication went on, Robert supposed, she smiled at him and nodded, then helped him sit up. 

When Robert realized that Jimmy wanted to be in his arms instead, he quickly let go of his hands to gather him close. He carefully reached down to slide his arm underneath Jimmy’s tail and pulled him into his lap, then wrapped both of his arms around him tightly. Their bond flared up with pure joy and happiness as he held the merman close and nuzzled his neck and Robert gladly basked in it, still relieved that Jimmy allowed it, accepted it.

When he opened his eyes and looked at Jimmy’s parents, both of them had strange expressions on their faces, somewhere between fear, sorrow and happiness, but Jimmy’s mother was the first one to smile at him. He understood that they’d rather see their son with one of their own than in the arms of a human, but they were also relieved that they’d managed to save his life. Robert smiled back at her, then focused his attention back on Jimmy, turning his head to press a gentle little kiss to his brow.

“Maybe you should talk to your parents.” He said softly. “I’m sure they have a million questions. Do you want to go into the water?” Jimmy pulled back to look at him, then he shook his head. 

“I don’t have to, we have a family bond we can communicate with.” He explained. Robert smiled.

“I know, Benjamin told me about that. I just thought you might wanna...” He shrugged. Jimmy glanced at the old man as if he’d only just realized that he was there, then he blushed. 

“I’d rather stay in your arms.” He admitted. 

“I think it would be better if you stayed close to each other, as close as possible, for now. Your bond needs time to heal.” Benjamin said gently. 

“Thank you for helping us. Thank you for coming up here. I know it’s not easy for you.” Jimmy told him bashfully, looking down.

“Ah, don’t you worry about me, my child.” Benjamin said with a big smile. “I may be old, but I could never be too tired to help you out of trouble.” He added. Jimmy blushed even more and Robert chuckled. He wondered what else Jimmy had gotten himself into. He couldn’t wait to learn about that. “Besides, it wasn’t a completely selfless act. I haven’t spoken to a human in so many years, I was quite eager to come here.” 

“Hm, you really shouldn’t be, this one is quite silly, not that great to talk to, if you ask me.” Jimmy said dryly, but then he couldn’t help the little giggle escaping his mouth and he hid his face in Robert’s hair. 

“Hey, now!” Robert said and tickled Jimmy’s side lightly, just below his gills, making him squeal in surprise. “That’s mean!”

“If he’s that silly, how come you fell head over heels for him?” Benjamin asked teasingly and Jimmy giggled even more.

“He doesn’t even have heels!” Robert argued and this time, it was the old merman who laughed.

“Head over fin, then.” He corrected himself and all of them laughed. Robert couldn’t believe how good it felt to laugh again, to just be happy. Jimmy seemed to feel the same way, if the bond between them was anything to go by. It felt amazing. 

“Maybe that’s exactly what I fell for. Maybe I like my humans silly, goofy, romantic and sentimental.” Jimmy then said in a small voice and looked up at him, then raised a hand to caress his cheek gently. Robert leaned into the touch, just gazing back into Jimmy’s eyes. He really, REALLY wanted to lean in and kiss him, but judging by his earlier reactions, Jimmy would be way too embarrassed to do that in front of his family, so he refrained. 

“Hmmhm, and I like my mermen snarky, sarcastic, pragmatic and adorably shy.” Robert shot back. Jimmy gave him another smile, then sighed deeply and rested his forehead against his shoulder. “Are you alright?” 

“I will be... I think.” Jimmy said. “I just... feel so weak and tired, still.” He admitted. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright... poor love. This was a little much, hm? I’m sorry. We should let you rest and recover.” Robert said, feeling a little guilty for exhausting Jimmy. He had only just woken up a little while ago, they should give him a break. 

“How long is this going to take?” Jimmy asked. “When am I going to feel better?”

“I don’t know, little one.” Benjamin sighed. “This has never happened before, we don’t know anything about a bond between one of us and a human. It may be different. We will have to wait and see. For now, all we know is that you have to stay close to each other.”

“So... I’ll have to stay up here.” Jimmy said. Robert wondered how he felt about that. There was no way he could go and stay down in the depths with the merpeople, Jimmy would have to stay here, with him, at least for the time being.

“For now, yes. When your bond is stronger, when it’s not that fragile anymore, you can spend time apart. You can come visit your family. Later, when your bond is fully developed, you can come to work just like you did before and spend as much time apart as you like, it won’t affect a strong bond.” Benjamin explained. 

“Maybe this is possible, after all.” Jimmy sighed. “How do we keep this a secret, though? Won’t the authorities catch on at some point, wondering where I’m going all the time? Every day?” Robert cringed as he heard Jimmy’s question. Of course, all of these merpeople risked everything by taking him here, they’d all go to jail if they were found out.

“I don’t know.” The old merman said with a shake of his head. Then he looked up at Jimmy with a strange glint in his eyes and a smile. “Maybe it’s time to change the world.” He said, but Jimmy just groaned and shook his head in turn.

“Benjamin. No! I know you really want that to happen, but it’s never going to happen.” He sighed in exasperation. Apparently he knew exactly what the old man was talking about, it wasn’t the first time they’d had this discussion.

“Just think about it, Jimmy, they wouldn’t let you die. Maybe your love can prove-” Benjamin started, but Jimmy cut him off.

“Stop it!” He said angrily. “This isn’t a romance novel! Of course they’d let *one* of us die to protect *billions*! It only makes sense and I wouldn’t even hold it against them.” 

“What... what are you two talking about?” Robert asked, lost. Jimmy sighed again. 

“Benjamin has this dream, that humans and merpeople are going to live together peacefully.” He said, glaring at the old man. “That’s just not going to happen.”

“But... why not? I don’t understand.” Robert said sadly. 

“I am very disappointed in you, Jimmy.” Benjamin added. “Where’s the brave boy that stood up to his parents who told him that what he was interested in was ‘stupid’ and ‘unnecessary’? Where’s the strong young man who got arrested at the protest march when they wanted to take away our right to leave the dome? Or the one where they wanted to assign numbers to us and put trackers on us? What happened to you? Where is your love for freedom? Where is the fight in you?” Jimmy just glared at him and huffed.

“This is not about freedom. It’s about the safety of our people.” He said. 

“But... didn’t you tell me that we aren’t a threat to you anymore?” Robert asked. Everything Benjamin just said about Jimmy sounded very much like him and Robert was impressed that he’d do all that and stand up for his rights like that. He liked it. It was sad to see him give in so easily.

“Well... technically, you’re not. There’s only one weapon you have that could possibly harm us. Our shields can withstand almost anything you could throw at them, but... they would not protect us from radiation.” He said, looking down sadly. 

“Radiation...? What? Oh.” Robert stammered until he realized what Jimmy meant. “Look, humans can be assholes, I get it, but... why would we nuke you??” He asked, shocked that Jimmy would even think that.

“You dropped those awful bombs on your own people. Why would you hesitate using them against us?” Jimmy asked. 

“Fuck. I don’t know. You’re talking to the wrong human! Do you know just how many protest marches *I* went to?? Do you know how often I’ve raised my voice and spoken up against war, against all of this unnecessary killing? I just want peace, too.” Robert said desperately. “If there’s billions of you... how could we possibly fight you? Also, WHY would we??” 

“You drove hundreds of species of animals to extinction, didn’t you?” Jimmy asked. Robert couldn’t help but feel like he, personally, did all that, with the way the merman was talking

“You are being terribly hypocritical.” Benjamin said firmly. “Haven’t we done exactly the same, Jimmy? How many species of fish have we killed off?” Jimmy crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“At least we don’t have those awful bombs that poison everything for years and years.” He said stubbornly.

“And the only reason we don’t have them is because we don’t have one crucial resource to build them.” Benjamin shrugged. “I’m sure our government would have built some already if they could.” 

Jimmy looked up at him, he seemed to think about it for a while. Robert couldn’t feel anything through the bond right that moment, so he had no idea what he was thinking.

“Maybe you’re right, I’m being unfair. I’m just... scared. I know that not every human is like Robert. Not all of them just want peace and if they all know about us...” He sighed.

“So what? You are so far ahead of us when it comes to technology... we’d stand no chance, Jimmy, and I’m sure they’d all realize that. You have another advantage. You can breathe on land. We can’t breathe under water. We couldn’t fight you. Although I doubt it’d ever get that far.” Robert said. 

“Maybe I’m just not ready for the entire population of merpeople to hate me.” Jimmy sighed. 

“They wouldn’t... look at your parents, your siblings, your friends... they all worked together to help you, despite me being a human.” Robert said soothingly and held him close. “I’m sure others would feel the same.”

“Maybe.” Jimmy repeated and nuzzled Robert’s neck, scooting closer. “I’m sorry I’m being difficult again.”

“It’s alright. I don’t think we have to worry about it for now, love.” Robert said. “Nobody but us knows what happened and for now, we’ll just keep it that way. As much as Benjamin wants to ‘change the world’, we don’t have to do that, especially not right now.” He chuckled. He felt Jimmy smile and nod.

“Yes... maybe one day.” He said. He sounded very exhausted. 

“Do you want to take a nap, love? You sound tired.” Robert said gently. Jimmy nodded again.

“Yes... but I have to talk to my parents, first. They deserve some answers, as you said.” He said. “And I have to ask them to feed my babies!”

“Your *what*??” Robert gasped. Jimmy giggled.

“My pets. I have pets, at home. Hmm, what do you humans call them... seahorses. My horsies. Yes.” He said cutely.

“Oh! That’s adorable!” Robert said, relieved that there were no actual ‘babies’ in the picture all of a sudden. 

“I’ll show you pictures once I have my things up here.” Jimmy said, then let go of him to turn towards his parents. The look in his eyes changed, turning strangely lost, and Robert knew that he was talking to them via their family bond. He glanced at Benjamin and smiled.

“He’s a handful.” He sighed. Benjamin chuckled and nodded.

“He is. He just... has very strong beliefs and doesn’t want anything bad to happen to our people. Especially not because of something he did.” He explained.

“I get that.” Robert nodded. “Maybe one day we can make your dream come true and we can live peacefully, side by side, all of us.” He added.

“I do hope I’ll live to see that day.” Benjamin said wistfully. “Well... when they are done talking I will ask them to accompany back home. I need to rest.”

“I’m sorry you had to come all the way up here...” Robert said, feeling a little guilty. It was obvious that the long journey it had been quite difficult for the old man. It wasn’t like they could just use one of their vehicles, they’d be discovered.

“It’s quite alright, my boy, don’t you worry. As I said, I’m glad I got to speak to a human again. It’s been too long.” He said with a warm smile.

“It was an honor to meet you, I’m glad I got to talk to you. Thank you so much, for everything.” Robert said and offered his hand once more, smiling widely when Benjamin shook it. “I hope we’ll meet again.”

“I hope so, too.” The old merman said. They sat in silence, waiting for Jimmy to finish talking to his family. 

Robert couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about. Occasionally, he felt little bursts of emotions through their bond, but never enough to really guess what Jimmy was feeling or what they were talking about. He noticed that Jimmy would blush at time or that his tail would twitch, and he really wanted to know why, but he’d have to wait. 

After a while, he noticed Jimmy leaning against him more heavily and his eyelids getting droopy, he was tired. His parents must have noticed as well because they both came to hug him goodbye. Jimmy’s mom smiled at Robert and waved before helping Benjamin into the water while his father and his siblings nodded at him before diving down as well. 

Robert returned their gestures, then looked down at Jimmy who was leaning against his chest, blinking at him sleepily.

“You’re so exhausted, poor love.” He cooed and brushed some hair out of his face.

“I like it when you call me that.” Jimmy whispered with a tired little smile. It occurred to Robert that they were finally alone, just the two of them, and he really wanted to talk to Jimmy, but the merman was way too exhausted for that. 

“Then I’ll keep doing it.” He chuckled. “Is everything alright between you and your parents?” 

“Well... they’re worried, but... they love me. They just want me to be happy and healthy. My mother said that she can feel that you have a good heart.” He smiled. 

“Hm, I thought she warmed up to me more quickly than your Dad did.” Robert grinned. It felt good to hear that at least his Mom already liked him. “So... do you still think we can’t do it?” He then asked.

“No. I think we can do it. It’s not going to be easy, but... with their help, we can do it.” Jimmy said after a moment. He yawned and let himself slide a little further down to snuggle against Robert’s chest.

“Alright, sleep. We can talk about this when you’ve rested.” Robert said and caressed his hair gently.

“They will come back tomorrow to bring some of my things... and some food...” Jimmy said slowly and yawned again before closing his eyes. Robert felt that he’d fallen asleep through their bond. 

Looking around the cave, he noticed that he still had some crackers and two bottles of water in the box he kept down here. It wasn’t much, but at least he wouldn’t have to starve until they’d be able to spend some time apart. Slowly, he lay down in the sand, pulling Jimmy along with him, deciding to get some rest as well. It had been an exhausting day for him, too, after all. He couldn’t wait to actually talk to Jimmy, without an audience of merpeople around them. He wanted to know how he really felt. He wanted to explore their bond some more. He wanted to kiss Jimmy.


	16. Exploration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Robert and Jimmy get some time alone again, they get to talk and learn more about each other, about their personalities as well as their bodies.

At first, he couldn’t get any rest, he just couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened that day. Finally seeing Jimmy again, the things he said... but also meeting all those other merpeople. It was utterly overwhelming, never would he have expected something like this to happen. Hope was blooming in his chest, though, now that Jimmy was in his arms and they had a chance to repair that fragile bond Jimmy had ripped so cruelly.

Before he finally slept away as well, Robert looked down at Jimmy and watched him sleep. He looked so sweet and innocent, so perfect. His eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply, apparently he had no problem using his lungs even while he was fast asleep. Secretly, Robert was glad that at least merpeople slept just like humans, by the looks of it. He wondered if they had dreams, too. They must have, he thought.

By the time they both woke up again, it was the middle of the night. Robert could barely see anything in the pale moonlight that was falling in through the crack in the cave, but he could feel that Jimmy was awake. The presence he felt was a lot stronger and seemed less fragile than it had a few hours ago.

“Hey, my sleeping ocean-beauty. How do you feel?” He asked softly, nuzzling the side of Jimmy’s face lovingly. The merman made a strange sound somewhere between a scoff and a chuckle.

“Why do you call me those things?” He asked. Robert laughed.

“What can I say? I’m a poet, I love sweet talk.” He grinned. 

“You’re very silly.” Jimmy said, but Robert could hear the smile in his voice. 

“You wouldn’t have me any other way, would you?” Robert said teasingly. “Now, how do you feel? Any better?”

“Yes. A lot better, actually.” Jimmy sighed and snuggled closer. “Being close to you feels very good. But I’m drying out a little already. I will have to get into the water, soon.” He warned. Robert nodded, it wasn’t like he hadn’t expected that. It had been a good few hours after all. 

“Do you think you can go alone? It’s a little cold at night, for me.” He admitted. “Besides, I need to pee. I usually use one of those tunnels that lead to a dead end, over there.”

“Oh. I can try.” Jimmy said. “We can try, I mean. If it hurts too much, we’ll have to figure something out.” He sighed.

“Hurt? Why would it hurt?” Robert asked.

“Well... now that the bond has started healing, it’s gonna be painful to be apart. It’s very fragile during that process, I think.” Jimmy explained.

“Crap.” Robert cursed. “Well... we’ll make do, as you said.” He added and pressed a gentle kiss to Jimmy’s brow. He felt something tug at the bond at that and smiled to himself. Maybe Jimmy liked that. 

“I’m not letting you pee in the lake.” Jimmy said sternly. “I live there.” Robert couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“Where do *you* go when you... you know... need to go?” He asked.

“I use the sand, like a decent person!” Jimmy said and cross his arms in front of his chest. “Also, I don’t *pee*.” 

“You... don’t?” Robert asked, raising an eyebrow. He still didn’t have a grasp on merman physiology, how their bodies worked continued to be a mystery to him.

“No.” Jimmy said curtly, and that was that. Robert knew the conversation was over, Jimmy was too embarrassed to tell him any more. He sighed and shook his head, for a scientist he surely was strangely squeamish. 

“Alright, let’s get you into the water, then I’ll see how far away I can go without it getting painful.” He suggested and gently moved his arm under Jimmy’s tail to help him.

“Hey, I can do this by myself, you don’t have to...” Jimmy complained, but Robert had already hoisted him to the edge of the water, not that it was very far away. Robert felt something through the bond and this time, it didn’t feel pleasant, as it usually did. Was Jimmy angry?

“Sorry... I just wanted to help.” He said sheepishly and Jimmy sighed.

“It’s ok.” He said and got into the water. Robert stayed close to the shore until he heard Jimmy stop moving around so much, then he got up to get his flashlight. He switched it on and looked back at Jimmy, who was lying on his belly in the water, just at the shore, and squinted at him, then raised a hand to stop him from shining it into his eyes. Again, Robert felt some irritation through the bond and quickly lowered the flashlight. 

“Well. Let’s see how far it’s gonna let me go. Brace yourself.” He said and turned around, starting to walk towards the tunnel. He made it all the way to the tunnel before his head started hurting, he got dizzy and he wanted to go back to Jimmy. It wasn’t too unbearable, though, so he quickly relieved himself and went back. “Well, that worked just fine... or was it bad for you?” He asked Jimmy as he sat back down in the sand.

“It hurt a little, but... it wasn’t that bad. I’m glad you’re back, though.” Jimmy said. Robert lay down in the sand with his head pointing towards where Jimmy was, in the water, and looked up at the crack in the ceiling of the cave, looking at the stars. Jimmy scooted up a little to rest his head next to Robert’s instead of behind him.

“That’s the first nice thing you’ve said to me since we’ve been back together.” He chuckled. He felt an angry tug at the bond and dropped his head to the side to look at the merman, not that he could see much of him in the dark. 

“That’s not true.” Jimmy said. 

“It is!” Robert argued. “Come on, say something nice to me.” He then demanded and Jimmy was silent for a moment. 

“I... uhm...” He stammered, then sighed. Robert wondered why that was so hard for him, if he loved him it should come easily, shouldn’t it? “Well, I like it when you call me those sweet names. You make me feel loved. You’re cute when you tease me. I love your hair... and your beautiful blue eyes.” He said it in a single breath of air and like it made him uncomfortable, but for some reason, that only made it feel more genuine and Robert smiled widely. 

“Thank you...” He said, a little surprised. 

“I like these, too.” Jimmy said and raised his hand to touch the corner of Robert’s mouth. “I don’t know what that’s called.”

“Oh, my dimples? Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Robert laughed. “Wait. Oh, I totally forgot that you can see much better in the dark than I can.” He then added and squinted at the merman. He then looked back up at the bit of sky that was visible through the crack. “Just look at the stars, isn’t that beautiful?” He asked.

“Stars? You can see the stars with just your eyes?” Jimmy asked. Robert heard him turn around to lie on his back in the water as well, mirroring Robert’s position. “I can only make out the moon.” Jimmy added and pointed up at said moon. Robert frowned.

“Really? You can’t see all those stars all around it?” He asked.

“No. I can’t see that far.” Jimmy said.

“That’s... odd? I thought you can see better than me.” Robert mused.

“Well, yes, up close or in the dark. I just can’t see things that are far away very well. We don’t really need that down there, you know. The water doesn’t allow us to see very far even with our artificial lights, so I suppose our eyes didn’t develop that way.” Jimmy explained. 

“Huh. That makes sense, it must be all murky down there. Well, as long as you can see *me*, it’s alright, I guess.” Robert decided. It still made him a little sad that Jimmy couldn’t see the stars. “Hey, how do you find your way when you swim outside of your city?” 

Jimmy giggled, then started making some of the weirdest sounds Robert had ever heard come from a living being. Odd, quick little clicking sounds, barely audible to him.

“What, no way!!” He gasped. “That’s so cool, that’s like... sonar, or something!” 

“Echolocation.” Jimmy corrected him. Robert huffed and reached over to splash some water at him.

“Ok, Mr. Scientist!” He laughed. “That’s really neat... although, how does all that fit into your body?? I mean... your torso is roughly the same size as mine, you’re a little smaller, even... yet, you have gills, lungs, echolocation... and I bet that however you make those sounds you make when you speak, it needs an extra organ, too!” 

“Yes. I don’t know all that much about human bodies, I mostly studied human culture and social interactions... but from what I do know, I think my lungs are much smaller than yours. That’s why I’m out of breath quickly up here. My gills are much more effective.” He explained.

“Wow... I’m sorry if this is making you uncomfortable. I’m just... incredibly curious about all of this. Your body, I mean.” Robert admitted. 

“It’s ok. I understand.” Jimmy said. “I’m no better, really. I’ve been trying to work up the courage to ask you to let me touch your legs ever since we started talking. Because I... I like your legs.” He then admitted. The blonde couldn’t help but grin widely. When he’d offered to let him touch his hair, that first time they’d met, Jimmy had been too shy to ask, too. It was adorable, but Robert was glad that this time the merman had spoken up.

“So... is this you asking, or...?” He couldn’t quite help teasing him a little. 

“Yes...?” Jimmy said insecurely. “Unless you mind, of course.”

“I don’t! At all! On the contrary!” Robert said, unable to hide his excitement. Jimmy was finally opening up a little and he loved every second of it. He quickly sat up and turned around to face Jimmy, stretching out his legs in front of him. “I’m all yours.” 

Jimmy took a moment to sit up as well and another little one to work up the courage to actually go for it, tentatively placing a cold hand on Robert’s thigh. The singer quickly reached down to pull up the leg of the shorts he was wearing, just a little more so Jimmy could touch more of him if he wanted to. Carefully, the merman began feeling up his leg, first his thigh, then his knee, his calf, his ankles and finally his feet. Robert laughed when Jimmy tickled him accidentally and the merman went back up his leg again, curiously feeling the bones, tendons and muscles there.

“You have very nice legs... they feel so strong.” He said, gently rubbing Robert’s thigh. “I like them.” Jimmy decided and Robert closed his eyes, enjoying the touch. 

‘Just don’t pop a boner, don’t pop a boner now...’ He told himself. It wasn’t like Jimmy was even touching him *there*, but it had been a while for him and he wasn’t used to that. He’d also missed Jimmy and longed to be close to him, being touched by him, even like this, was very nice.

“Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?” Jimmy asked worriedly when Robert didn’t say anything. The human cleared his throat and shook his head.

“No, you didn’t... don’t worry.” Robert reassured him quickly and placed his hand on top of Jimmy’s carefully. 

“Then why did you tense up?” The merman prodded and Robert sighed.

“It’s just... it’s very nice to be close to you and to... be touched by you.” He said, hoping he’d get the message. When Jimmy just tilted his head questioningly and didn’t answer, he sighed again. “I was trying not to pop a boner, Jimmy.” 

“I don’t know what that means.” Jimmy said blankly. Robert groaned. He didn’t know how to make it any clearer. 

“Remind me to get you a dictionary...” He said with a bit of amusement in his voice. “I was hoping I wouldn’t get hard. You know, an erection.” He said uncomfortably. He didn’t like phrasing it that way, but it was probably the only way Jimmy would understand. 

“Oh. Oh!” It finally sunk it and Jimmy realized what he meant. To Robert’s surprise, the merman didn’t pull his hand back like it had been burnt, like he’d expected. He kept it there and Robert thought he felt relief through the bond. “ That’s not so bad, is it? I thought I’d hurt you or made you feel bad.”

“You didn’t.” Robert reassured him.

“I didn’t know you’d... you know... I didn’t know that would happen from touching your leg.” Jimmy admitted.

“It wouldn’t, usually... I guess. It’s just... been a while, you know. I’m kind of touch starved right now and I’m also incredibly happy to have you back. I missed you. Like crazy.” Robert said.

“I missed you, too.” Jimmy answered. “I’m really glad to be back here with you. I’m sorry if I acted like I wasn’t, at first.” He said, looking down. He really was opening up, Robert thought to himself. It felt good.

“Was it because of your family being there?” Robert asked. 

“A little, maybe. Maybe I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. That all of this is real, I mean.” Jimmy sighed. “I’m so sorry if I made you feel... unwelcome. Or... not loved.” He added.

“It’s alright, love.” Robert cooed. “This is very new for both of us, we’ll have to get used to it, first. We’ll figure it out, don’t you worry.” He added and reached up to cup Jimmy’s cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb. The merman leaned into the touch and smiled. 

“Thank you. For reassuring me and for not being angry at me.” He said.

“How could I be? I’m so glad you’re here with me. I’m so grateful your friend intervened and found me.” Robert gushed. 

“Me too.” Jimmy said. “Oh, hey... do you want to... I don’t know, touch my tail, or my fin? You don’t have those, maybe you’re curious, like I was about your legs.” He then offered. Robert almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he was *very* happy about it nevertheless. ‘I wanna touch much more than just your tail...’ His brain couldn’t help but go there, but he pushed the thought away and nodded.

Jimmy pulled his hand out from underneath Robert’s to push himself out of the water, then hoisted his tail up and across the human’s legs. Robert gasped at the cold, wet tail on his skin.

“Shit, that’s so cold!” He said and shivered.

“Oh no, I’m sorry, I forgot!” Jimmy said and made to remove his tail again, but Robert stopped him.

“It’s ok... it’ll warm up. Don’t worry.” He said and chuckled. He gently put his hand on Jimmy’s tail, caressing it. The scales were cool and smooth and when he got to the large fin at the end of his tail, it definitely felt ‘fleshier’ than those scales. He immediately noticed how strong it felt, it was pure muscle. Jimmy laughed and moved his fin underneath Robert’s hand, curling the edge of it around his hand before letting go again. 

“Aww, are you ticklish, too?” Robert asked, letting his fingers dance against it a little, earning some giggles from the merman.

“Yes! Stop it!” Jimmy said, laughing, so Robert did it again, but just a tiny bit, before stopping. 

“Is it ok to touch those?” Robert then asked, pointing at the frills along the side of his tail. 

“Oh... uhm... I... I... yes?” Jimmy stammered and Robert felt them fluttering against this legs nervously.

“It’s ok to say no, love.” He said gently, caressing Jimmy’s tail soothingly.

“No, it’s ok, you can touch them. It’s just... a little more intimate, but it’s alright.” Jimmy said. Robert thought he must surely be blushing, but he couldn’t see that in the dark. 

Carefully, Robert reached out to drag his finger along a small part of the frills. They were a little warmer than the rest of Jimmy’s tail and very soft, but he couldn’t really touch them much because of the constant movement. He didn’t want to grab them and accidentally hurt or pinch him, so he just let them flutter against his hand a little.

“They are used for courtship and expressing emotions, so... they’re a slightly more personal part of our bodies.” Jimmy explained bashfully.

“I think that’s really adorable.” Robert said with a smile. “They feel very nice and they’re so beautiful, especially in the water.” 

“Thank you.” Jimmy said and scooted a little closer to him.

“Would you like to sit in my lap again? I really wanna hold you close some more.” Robert offered and Jimmy nodded, then allowed him to gently pull him into his lap before wrapping his arms around him again, just like he had before they’d woken up. 

“I’m still so exhausted.” Jimmy admitted and yawned. 

“Let’s try to get some more sleep, then. It’s the middle of the night, anyways.” Robert suggested and Jimmy nodded before resting his head on the human’s shoulder. It didn’t take very long for him to fall asleep. Robert stayed awake a little longer, just so he could enjoy holding Jimmy for a while, before he, too, lay down and went to sleep, carefully holding the merman close. 

They were woken up the next day by some splashing sounds and when Robert looked up, Jimmy’s family was back. He saw both of his parents sticking their heads out of the water as well as the football player brother. This time, another one of his sisters had joined them, Robert hadn’t met this one before. She stayed just behind her brother and peeked at him curiously. Behind her, there was another merman Robert didn’t recognize. 

Suddenly, there was a lot of splashing just underneath the surface of the water and Jimmy’s sister and the stranger dove back down. The splashing quickly calmed down, but Robert noticed Jimmy staring at the water with wide eyes and an expression of utter disbelief on his face.

“I can’t believe they brought the hatchlings.” He gasped. Robert stared at him, then looked back towards the water. The surface was reflecting the sunlight that fell into the cave, so he couldn’t see, but Jimmy must have felt that through the bond he shared with his family. 

“No way!” He answered.


	17. Hatchlings!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jimmy's family is back, and they brought hatchlings! They have a fun day together, playing and getting to know each other.

“This is dangerous... why would they do this??” Jimmy stammered in bewilderment, still blinking at the water in disbelief.

“Maybe they wanted to meet their Uncle Robert!” The blonde quipped and shot the merman a grin. Jimmy slowly turned his head to look at him. His expression read ‘what did I do to deserve the silliest of all human beings as my mate?’ and Robert gave him a sheepish smile. “Hey... go be with your family, love.” He then said, nodding towards the water.

“What about you? Won’t you join us?” Jimmy asked.

“Oh, uhm, don’t you wanna spend some time with them and, you know, talk?” Robert said and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. He didn’t want to admit how self-conscious he felt around Jimmy’s family. He wasn’t used to feeling this way. He was never self-conscious. Ever. It was so easy for him to approach people, talk to them, make friends... he knew he was good looking and pleasant company (well, usually), so he didn’t have any such qualms around humans.

With the merpeople, it was different. He couldn’t just walk up to them and crack a silly joke. He couldn’t impress them in any way, he knew merpeople thought humans to be incredibly poor swimmers and he didn’t want to make a fool out of himself. They probably thought he was ugly and weird and they’d make fun of him. He wouldn’t even be able to tell if they’d be laughing with him or at him. 

“What’s wrong, Robert?” Jimmy prodded, looking at him curiously.

“It’s nothing. I just thought you might want some time with your family.” Robert said with a shrug.

“You do know that you can’t really lie to me anymore, right?” Jimmy asked, raising a delicate eyebrow at him. “I can feel that something’s not right. The bond isn’t strong enough for me to feel exactly what is up, but I can tell that there is something.” 

“Fuck.” Robert cursed. “It’s just... please don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t exactly feel comfortable around your family, you know.” He admitted. “I just feel... like... I don’t know. Wrong. Like I don’t belong.” 

“Oh.” Jimmy said, then smiled and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “I do understand that. It must be hard, not being able to talk to them. I’m sorry.” He said gently. Robert was quite surprised that he wasn’t angry at him. Jimmy was quite hot-headed and easily took things personally, but he was very understanding, at least this time.

“It’s not your fault.” Robert said and caressed the back of Jimmy’s hand carefully. He reached out to toy with some of the pearls on his bracelet and chuckled. “I wish I could learn your language. I’d be so much more comfortable if I could talk to them.”

“You can’t learn to speak my language... but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn to understand it.” Jimmy said. “I’ll teach you.”

“I can’t even stay underwater for long enough to hear much of it.” Robert huffed.

“You can, with your snorkel.” Jimmy reminded him. “You can learn to write it, too, once you understand some of it. You will be able to communicate with them that way.”

“I want to learn.” Robert nodded. “Thank you... for being so sweet and supportive. Now, go and talk to your parents, they’re waiting. I’m sure they brought food, too, you must be hungry.”

“You’re right.” Jimmy sighed. “You can join us whenever you want, alright?” He asked. Robert nodded and smiled at him, then let go of his hand so he could get into the lake. He watched him dive down, then got up to take a bottle of water from the box he kept in the cave that held some of his belongings. He greedily guzzled down some of the water before stopping himself. He had no idea how long it’d be before he could leave here, he had to be careful not to run out too quickly. Sadly, he looked at the crackers he also kept there and sighed. The dry, salty things would make him even more thirsty, but he was hungry. Reluctant, he ate a few before putting them back and having another sip of water.

He would have to at least call in sick at work if he didn’t want to lose his job, but if he couldn’t leave the cave, how was he supposed to do that? He couldn’t just carry Jimmy to the closest phone box or something. Luckily, he had the following two days off, but after that, he would have to find a solution, both for his water and food supply as well as for his job problem.

He looked up when he heard a little splashing sound, thinking that Jimmy had come back to talk to him, but he couldn’t see him anywhere. Instead, his eyes fell on something much smaller. Someone much smaller. One of the hatchlings, a little girl by the looks of it, had started crawling out of the water, towards him, looking at him curiously. When he looked up at her, she flashed him a big, toothy grin that was utterly adorable, but then she started coughing. It took Robert a moment to react, but then he was on his feet and on the way towards the edge of the water. The little one had never been on land, she didn’t know how to use her lungs and he was afraid she was gonna get hurt.

“Hey, hey, easy, let’s get you back into the water, little one...” He cooed as he walked up to her. Despite the coughing, she kept crawling towards him. Her parents probably hadn’t noticed her absence yet and she didn’t seem to be afraid of him at all. Carefully, he picked her up as he waded into the water, gently lowering her back in so she could breathe more easily. He laughed when instead of swimming off, she clung to his hand under water and beamed up at him brightly.

She was very small, he noticed, they were probably younger than Jimmy had been in that photo he’d shown him. She was about as long as Robert’s forearm and she barely weighed a thing. He couldn’t help but wonder how small they were when they hatched. He heard her make some sounds under water as she started to tug at his hand, trying to pull him into the water. Looking down at her adorable, excited little face, he just couldn’t say no, so he followed her, slowly walking deeper into the lake, until his feet barely touched the ground anymore.

It didn’t take long for the other merpeople to swim up to him, looking at him curiously as well as a little worriedly. Jimmy soon popped his head out of the water and grinned at him in amusement.

“I see you’ve met one of my nieces.” He said, looking down into the water at the hatchling still clinging to Robert’s arm.

“Yeah... I may or may not be a little in love. She is SO adorable!” Robert gasped. Jimmy laughed.

“I should be mad at you for saying that, I want to be the only merperson you love, but... I get it. I feel the same way.” He said, gently patting her little head. She glared up at him and swatted at his hand with her little tail, but it was way too short to reach and Jimmy stuck his tongue out at her. 

“I didn’t realize they’d be *that* small. She is tiny!” Robert said in wonder. 

“Why don’t you get your snorkel and your goggles and you can join us?” Jimmy asked. “I’ll tell you everybody’s names.” He added and carefully plucked the clingy little girl from his arm. She twisted and splashed, but Jimmy held her so Robert could go to get his things from the shore. Robert nodded and quickly went to do so. He was still nervous, but he didn’t want to be rude and he really wanted to see the other hatchlings as well as meet Jimmy’s sister whom he didn’t know yet. He’d figured out that the other merman he saw earlier must be her mate.

When he got back into the water after taking off his wet shirt and adjusting his goggles and the snorkel, the little girl immediately came swimming up to him, excitedly circling him and inspecting the things on his head, poking, prodding, pulling at them. She wasn’t strong enough to remove them, so Robert let her, curiously watching her swim around him with her cute, stubby little tail. 

When he looked around, he soon spotted the others close by, watching them. There were 5 more hatchlings, 3 girls and 2 boys. The boys had bright blue tails, just like the merman that was swimming close to Jimmy’s sister. None of the other hatchlings were quite as daring as their sister, but they soon came closer as well, curious about the human. Robert raised his hand to wave at the other merpeople in greeting and they all waved back at him, coming closer. 

When he looked at Jimmy, his heart swelled with love at seeing him like that, if anything, he seemed even more beautiful in the water. He smiled at him and the merman returned the smile, the frills along his tail rippling beautifully. Then, he started pointing at the other merpeople, first of all his mother, and saying their names. They sounded so beautiful and Robert was sad that he would never be able to say them, but at least now he knew them and could remember the sound in his at, at the very least. 

As he was learning their names, the little girl still hadn’t left him alone and now her siblings had gathered enough courage to start playing with him as well. They were squealing and talking to each other, pointing at his legs and feet as well as at the shorts he was wearing. Soon, they all started poking and prodding at his legs,their little hands pinched him and their sharp little claws were scratchy, but he didn’t know how to ask them to stop. Then they got to his feet, making him laugh despite the snorkel in his mouth

He almost spat it out when the started tugging at his shorts, threatening to pull them down. Now that would be one of the worst things to happen in front of Jimmy’s family, judging by the way Jimmy had reacted to seeing him in tight, revealing trunks before. Being exposed like that just wouldn’t do, so Robert grabbed the waistband of the shorts and held them up. 

Luckily, Jimmy’s brother in law understood his predicament and grinned at him as he swam up to him to calm down the hatchlings. He talked to them and plucked them off of him one by one, until he got to the little girl. When he made to take her by the waist, she quickly twisted and sank her sharp little teeth into his hand, making him make a pained sound before letting go. She really was a feisty one, Robert thought when her father started telling her off, looking at her angrily. Even now the language of the merpeople sounded beautiful to him, despite his angry tone. 

Pouting, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and swam off to join her siblings. Her father gave him an apologetic smile and Robert waved it off with a smile of his own. They were kids, he couldn’t be mad at them in the least. It was only understandable that they were excited and curious. 

Looking at the other merman, he couldn’t help but notice how much more he liked Jimmy’s green coloring rather then this one’s bright, royal blue, although he’d admit that he was handsome as well. He wondered why he seemed to only think that about the male merpeople, he’d never thought about male humans like that. Maybe it had something to do with their colors, he mused. The females just weren’t much to look at, as mean and unfair as that sounded even in his own head. He was even slightly disappointed at the lack of seashell bras, but then again it only made sense. They weren’t mammals, they didn’t need bras at all. 

He stayed in the water and watched Jimmy talking to his family, listening to the beautiful language despite not understanding a word they were saying. When none of them seemed to make fun of him, he started feeling less and less self-conscious around them, even daring to swim around a little. He tried not to look stupid, he even tried to swim like them, keeping his legs together instead of swimming like a frog, and to his surprise, he quickly got the hang of it, swimming quite a bit faster than before. He’d have to invest in a pair of flippers, he thought.

The hatchlings were playing with each other, even Jimmy and his dad seemed to have some fun, laughing and chasing each other like kids. It was nice to see Jimmy enjoying himself, he seemed a lot less tired and exhausted than he had been yesterday. His parents must feel relieved to see that, too, Robert mused as he saw his dad cuddling him and kissing his brow affectionately. He noticed the almost empty boxes of food they had left on a rock in the water and was reminded of his own problem. His crackers wouldn’t last him much longer. 

Soon, the little ones regained their interest in him and began swimming around him again. This time, their parents stayed close to ‘rescue’ him in case he needed it, but that wasn’t necessary. They tried to grab his hands and pull him, but they were way too small and weak to even move him at all, so they stopped, a little disappointed. 

When Jimmy’s sister started pointing at him and talking to Jimmy about something, he started feeling a little self-conscious again. He was also getting a tad bit cold, so he decided to get back on dry land again. As he was swimming back, he briefly noticed the hatchlings all gathered around their father, who was explaining something to them, pointing up at the surface, at their chests, and their gills. Maybe he was trying to get them to breathe air properly? 

Just after he’d sat down on the beach, on a towel he’d spread there, Jimmy came crawling out of the water, slowly making his way over to him. Robert almost wanted to get up and help him, but Jimmy would hate him for that, so he refrained. 

“We weren’t making fun of you, you know.” Jimmy said with a little smile. “My sister just noticed how much your hair changed when it got wet and how different you looked.” He explained. 

“Ah... yeah, well, I look like a drowned rat.” Robert laughed and brushed some of his thick, wet hair out of his face. 

“No, you look lovely.” Jimmy said and blushed slightly. 

“Why, thank you!” Robert laughed. “Did you have fun with your family? Did you eat?” He then asked. Jimmy nodded.

“Yes. I really needed that, too. I was *so* hungry. My mother made my favorite things.” He said happily. 

“That’s so nice of her.” Robert said and worriedly glanced at his box with his poor, measly pack of crackers. Jimmy tilted his head at him.

“I can feel that you’re worried.” He stated and Robert nodded. He wouldn’t be able to hide it anyways.

“Yeah. I’m almost out of food and water.” He admitted. Jimmy frowned.

“There’s water right there.” He said, pointing at the lake. Robert raised an eyebrow.

“That lake is connected to the ocean. It’s salt water. I can’t drink that.” He reminded Jimmy.

“Oh. Right. Yes. I forgot. Humans are weird.” Jimmy said sheepishly. “Maybe the bond will be strong enough soon to let you leave here for a bit? Just so you can get some water? You can have some of our food.”

“I hope I can leave here soon... I have to at least call in sick at work. If I just don’t show up...” He trailed off and shrugged.

“That would be bad, yes...” Jimmy sighed. 

“I want to explore this bond some more... maybe there’s something we can do to strengthen it more quickly?” Robert wondered. Jimmy blinked at him and blushed.

“Maybe...” He said softly, looking Robert in the eyes deeply. Just when the blonde felt himself getting lost in those green eyes, they were interrupted by lots of splashing and little, yet horrifying screeching noises. Looking up, Robert saw Jimmy’s sister and her mate slowly guiding the hatchlings on land and apparently, they hadn’t been told not to use their regular voice on land. It was nowhere near as loud and painful as when Benjamin had accidentally done it the other day, but it wasn’t pleasant, either. Luckily, they soon caught on and stopped. They were still coughing a bit from time to time, but they soon got the hang of it and started exploring the beach. 

“They are so adorable.” Robert chuckled. “And so, so small. How big are hatchlings when they hatch?” He asked Jimmy, who blinked at him, then shrugged.

“Hmmm... maybe about the size of my hand, a little smaller?” He said and Robert gasped. He could barely imagine such small merbabies. Jimmy grinned at him. “They really like you. They won’t stop asking all kinds of questions!”

“I bet!” The blonde laughed. “Oh, and here’s my special friend.” He added when the little girl came crawling over to them. She had a tough time dragging herself through the sand, but apparently, she also had an iron will, so she managed just fine. Robert carefully picked her up and put her in his lap. 

“She’s special indeed.” Jimmy grinned. “First one to hatch, always the first one to try new things, *very* stubborn and she knows absolutely no fear.” 

“I noticed.” Robert laughed. “There they come...” He added when he noticed that her siblings were coming towards them as well, having seen their sister in the human’s lap. One by one, Robert picked them up and put them in his lap, but they wouldn’t stay put. They started climbing all over him, using their little arms to pull themselves up. 

Soon, Robert had a hatchling on each shoulder, one in each arm and the rest stayed in his lap. Jimmy was looking at him with an odd expression on his face, a little sad maybe, but he couldn’t help but smile, as well. 

“You look good with a brood of hatchlings in your arms.” Jimmy said and Robert blinked at him, trying to figure out what he was feeling right now. The bond wasn’t telling him much, it was almost like Jimmy was trying to keep it from him, so Robert decided to let it go for now and smiled at him. 

“They’re wonderful. It’s weird, they’re not my family, but somehow, I feel like they are. I only just met them and I love them already.” He admitted. Jimmy’s smile widened and he nodded.

“I know what you mean. I was worried when my sister told me that they were going to have hatchlings, I had no idea how to act around them, what to do with them, but then, when they hatched, I loved them immediately.” He said. Jimmy’s family had gathered around them, watching him with the little ones, smiling at each other. He knew they were talking via their family bond, but for some reason, he didn’t mind anymore. 

“What are they saying? They don’t mind that I’m holding the little ones, do they?” Robert asked.

“No! Not at all. They’re very impressed with how you’re handling them, actually. They know they’re a handful.” Jimmy said in amusement.

“Literally.” Robert chuckled. He jumped a little when Jimmy’s mother and his sister giggled and came closer to him. Suddenly, their hands were in his hair and Robert cringed. “Ow... what is happening?” He asked.

“They... they want to braid your hair because it keeps getting into your eyes...” Jimmy explained, cringing in sympathy. Robert’s hair had a tendency to get incredibly tangled when it got wet and it hurt.

“Wait... ow... ouch! There’s... the comb you gave me, in the box.” Robert said, pointing. Jimmy quickly leaned over to open it and gave the comb to his sister who carefully started to detangle the mess on the human’s head. The hatchlings were curious about what their mom and grandma were doing and started tugging at his hair as well, so he took them off his shoulders and back into his lap. The little whirlwind of a girl seemed to have tired herself out, she curled up in Robert’s lap, her thumb in her mouth, calmly watching him.

“Mom’s wondering if you’d sing for us again.” Jimmy said after a while. Robert’s hair was still being braided, one of the women on each side of him, but he nodded. “Maybe something a little less sad than what you played yesterday.” Jimmy suggested with a smile.

“Sure. I’d love to, actually.” Robert said. “Will you hold the babies?”

“We can all hold some, there’s enough for everyone!” Jimmy laughed and gently took one from Robert’s arms. The two women finished braiding his hair (Robert was actually grateful for it, he didn’t have to constantly brush it out of his face anymore, he just hoped he didn’t look silly) and took some little ones from him as well, just like Jimmy’s dad and his brother in law.

Robert got his guitar and started playing, the hatchlings watched him with big eyes and soon, they were making happy, excited little sounds. When he started singing, though, they went quiet and listened intently, all fascinated. Robert smiled when he felt warmth and love radiating through the bond he shared with Jimmy. He really loved his music and now, Robert could feel that as well. 

They spent the rest of the day like that, sitting together, Robert playing and singing, they talked with Jimmy ‘translating’ and Robert soon felt a lot closer to his family than he had before. His mother insisted on him trying some of the dishes she had made and Robert gladly did. A few of them weren’t to his liking, too cold, too fishy, but of course he didn’t tell her that. Others were just as tasty as the dumplings he’d tried were and he loved them. He was also grateful that he got some food so he wouldn’t have to go to sleep hungry that night. 

The hatchlings all had a nap, Robert sang them a soft lullaby until they were all asleep and towards the late afternoon, when they were awake again, Jimmy’s family made their way back home. Robert couldn’t believe how lucky he was, getting to meet them all, even the little ones, he was incredibly happy that Jimmy’s family accepted him. 

“You look happy. You *feel* happy.” Jimmy said with a smile and reached out to toy with one of the little braids in Robert’s hair. Of course, Jimmy could feel that Robert was indeed very happy.

“I am, yeah.” He said. He reached out to pull Jimmy into his arms, lying back down on the towel in the sand. They were finally alone and as much as Robert had enjoyed spending time with the others, he was glad about that, too. “I don’t know, I feel so... honored that they trust me enough to let me meet the little ones.” 

“Why wouldn’t they? You’ve done nothing to harm us, you never would.” Jimmy said, lying down alongside him, a hand resting on Robert’s chest, looking down at him. 

“I know... it’s just... it’s awesome. I love it. This was a great day. But now... now, we’re alone.” He said, smiling at the merman and gently cupping his cheek, caressing his cheekbone with his thumb. Jimmy went very quiet at that, just looking down at him thoughtfully. Robert sensed some conflicting emotions through the bond, like Jimmy was fighting with himself, but then he shifted a little closer, touching Robert’s cheek in turn. Suddenly, a strong wave of nervousness hit Robert through the bond and he wondered what that was about.

“I really... really want to kiss you.” Jimmy whispered. Now his nervousness made sense, Robert thought, he felt a slight flutter of it himself. He smiled at the merman widely, insanely happy that Jimmy had had the courage to tell him that.

“Then do so.” He whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may need an appointment at the dentist after writing this!! Cavities! Too much sugar!!
> 
> It's the 24th of December, everyone. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, wether you celebrate or not, I hope you all have a great time!! <3   
I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you that has supported this story so far, be it kudos or comments, both are highly appreciated, so thank you so, so much! I'm having a wonderful time writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much!


	18. Just a kiss?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they are finally alone in their little sanctuary, their cave, Robert and Jimmy share their very fist kiss, but of course it doesn't end there. A rollercoaster of ups and downs until they finally get to their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now this is important for this chapter:
> 
> "...." is regular speech  
'....' are thoughts  
// ... // is telepathy 
> 
> :) 
> 
> Also: Merman anatomy up ahead, read at your own risk. This isn't your regular smut with two humans, be aware of that if you decide to read that, if that weirds you out, skip it. :)

He wanted to move his hand to the back of Jimmy’s neck and pull him in for the kiss, but he also really wanted Jimmy to move at his own pace, so he refrained. He could still feel that the merman was excessively nervous about this, even though he really had no reason to be. Robert wanted to be kissed, very much so, actually.

Jimmy seemed to gather his courage and smiled at him bashfully. His markings had darkened considerably and his frills were rippling like crazy. Robert caressed his cheek soothingly again, still waiting for him to finally make a move. When he did lean in, the hand he’d been resting on Robert’s naked chest twitched and he nervously caressed the human, briefly, before closing the distance between them, tilting his head slightly and gently pressing his lips to Robert’s. 

Almost immediately, an incredible warmth filled Robert’s mind and it took him a moment to realize that it was their bond. Warmth, happiness, contentment, love... all that seemed to pour from the bond between them and Robert couldn’t help but smile against Jimmy’s lips as he gently moved his hand from his cheek to his neck. His other hand gently traveled up Jimmy’s arm, across his shoulder, until it came to rest on his back, holding him gently. 

The merman made a happy little sound and caressed his chest again as he moved his lips against Roberts, even daring to suck on his lower lip briefly before pulling back and beaming at his mate brightly. Robert could tell that his nervousness was gone now, replaced by happy excitement instead. 

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He asked and winked at the dark-haired one. Jimmy laughed and shook his head.

“No. No, it wasn’t. I don’t know why I was so worried.” He admitted, looking down at his hand shyly. 

“I have a feeling this strengthened our bond quite a bit.” Robert mused, absentmindedly running his hands through Jimmy’s hair. To his surprise, they didn’t get tangled in it at all, despite how matted and tangly it looked on land, his fingers slid through it easily, without resistance. 

“I think so, too.” Jimmy said, still gazing into his eyes deeply, like he was unable to look away.

“Will we always be able to feel each other’s emotions?” Robert asked. Jimmy nodded.

“Yes. More so once the bond is fully formed.” He said. 

“Hmm... what if I don’t want you to know what I’m feeling?” Robert asked. This time, Jimmy frowned.

“Why wouldn’t you? You’re my mate.” He asked.

“I don’t know... maybe I’ll feel bad about something and I won’t want you to now... maybe I’ll feel guilty or there’s just something I’d rather hide in order not to hurt you...” He sighed. Jimmy blinked at him in confusion, then he smiled.

“You’re so... human.” He whispered. “You have to stop thinking like that. You’re my mate, we’re in this together... even if I do get hurt by something you feel, we’ll have to work through it and figure it out. A bond like this is about trust and honesty.” 

“Yeah. You’re right.” Robert said. He decided not to worry about it anymore, it wasn’t like he could change it in any way. “Can I have another kiss?” He then asked cheekily. 

Jimmy wasted no time this time and grinned at him before moving in for another kiss, a little more daring this time. Robert kissed him back, just their lips touching for now, but at some point, Jimmy’s long, pointy tongue darted out to lick across his lips. Curious and eager, Robert parted them to lick at him in turn, almost making a sound of pleasure as their tongues touched for the first time. Their bond was flaring up again with all sorts of emotions that threatened to completely overwhelm him, it was just so intense. Things seemed to bleed into each other, he couldn’t quite discern whether a certain thing was his own emotion or something Jimmy felt.

Jimmy tasted slightly salty, he noticed, but just a little bit, other than that, he was just Jimmy, sweet and nice, it was absolutely wonderful, Robert couldn’t get enough. The long, pointy tongue felt different than what he was used to, different than a human one, and he had to be careful not to cut his tongue on those incredibly sharp little teeth, but he didn’t want to stop kissing the merman. Ever. Being close to him like this made him so insanely happy, he just wanted time to slow down or stop so they wouldn’t have to part for air. 

“This is... intense.” Robert whispered when they did finally stop kissing long enough to breathe and look at each other. 

“It is. It’s almost... overwhelming. I’ve never felt like this before.” Jimmy answered. “It is very different than kissing without a bond.”

“Yeah...” Robert said lamely, he couldn’t have phrased it better and his brain didn’t want to come up with anything other than ‘more kissing, now!’. He raised his head a little and pulled Jimmy down the rest of the way, kissing him again, more passionately and deeply than before. He began caressing Jimmy’s back again and the merman in turn caressed his chest, his shoulder, his neck, making him shiver slightly. Robert felt himself getting more and more turned on with every kiss, every caress, but he had no idea what to do next. 

‘What do I do? Can we even... have sex? I have no idea how this works...’ Robert found himself thinking. Jimmy pulled back abruptly and blinked at him in surprise. 

“I heard that thought.” He said and Robert stared up at him in confusion, not quite understanding what he meant until it dawned on him. Benjamin had told him they would be able to communicate telepathically once the bond was strong enough. Making out had apparently accelerated that process quite a bit. He groaned.

“Of course. Of *course* this is the first one of my thoughts you hear. Bloody hell, now you’ll think I’m a total perv.” He sighed and shook his head. Jimmy did look a little surprised and he was definitely blushing, but then he gave him a smile. 

“It’s ok. It’s not like I wasn’t thinking about that, too.” He admitted and looked down bashfully. “And... while I don’t really have an answer for you... I’d love to find out.” He then whispered, almost taking Robert’s breath away. Finally, Jimmy was telling him what he wanted, finally he wasn’t that incredibly shy anymore, finally he’d found some confidence and it was actually really sexy, Robert thought. 

“You... do?” He found himself saying, cursing himself for not coming up with anything more flirty, but he was a little overwhelmed. He hadn’t expected this to happen this quickly with the way Jimmy had been acting until now. “I’m sorry. I’m just... worried I’ll mess this up.” He admitted. “You have the advantage of knowing a lot more about humans than I do about merpeople.” He added and Jimmy laughed.

“Oh Robert. I have no idea what I’m doing, either.” He said, reaching out to gently caress Robert’s cheek. “Everything I know about humans is taken from very old books... and things you’ve told me. I doubt my book-knowledge is gonna be very helpful here. We’ll just have to... take it slow and see what works for us?” He offered, lowering his hand back to rest on Robert’s chest once more. The way he was looking down at him was full of curiosity, excitement and promise and Robert couldn’t hold back from pulling him in for another kiss. 

As they started making out again, he began caressing Jimmy’s body again, his back, his arms, then his chest, before sliding his hand to the back of his neck, into his hair, pulling him closer. Jimmy sighed happily and shifted closer as well, soon ending up between Robert’s legs. The blonde slowly slid his hand down the other’s back, lower and lower, until he felt cool scales instead of smooth skin. With a girl, a human girl, he would have grabbed her butt to pull her closer, but with Jimmy, that didn’t work. He didn’t even have a butt, his torso just merged with his tail smoothly and Robert was a little lost. When his fingers brushed against the small fin on the back of Jimmy’s tail, he pulled his hands back up and pulled back to look at the merman.

“What’s wrong?” Jimmy asked, flushed and breathing more heavily already. He was gorgeous, Robert thought. 

“Nothing, I just... what if I hurt you or touch something I’m not supposed to...?” He asked. “I mean, I remember you telling me to stay away from your gills, but that’s it.” He added and Jimmy laughed.

“I’m not that fragile. It’s alright. You can touch me anywhere, you won’t hurt me. I’d tell you if I don’t like something.” He said. He didn’t even give Robert a chance to answer, kissing him again right away, like he couldn’t get enough either, so he let him, kissing him back heatedly as he continued his exploration of the merman’s body. 

Soon, he noticed that Jimmy had started curling his tail around one of Robert’s legs, holding on to it and moving against it rhythmically. The blonde felt the excited fluttering of his frills against his legs and Jimmy made little sounds into the passionate, open-mouthed kisses and Robert now clearly felt his arousal through the bond. It only served to fuel his own, turning him on more and more. When Jimmy realized what he was doing, he broke the kiss and looked at Robert with wide eyes. The blonde felt a wave of embarrassment through the bond as Jimmy looked down.

“I’m sorry.” He stammered and started to pull away from Robert, uncoiling his tail from his leg, but the human stopped him.

“No, it’s ok. It’s alright. That felt good to you, didn’t it? Don’t stop.” He said encouragingly, pulling him back. “I liked it when you wrapped your tail around me like that.” He added. Jimmy smiled at that, quite shyly so, but stopped moving away from him. 

“That’s how merpeople mate.” He said bashfully. “We wrap our tails around each other like that when we... you know. It’s almost like a dance. I’ve never done this on land, it doesn’t quite work that way. It’s just an instinct I have, that’s why I did it, I think.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself, love. It’s alright.” Robert cooed. He didn’t want Jimmy to feel bad about this, they’d both enjoyed it after all. He was terribly curious to learn more about what Jimmy had just told him, but right now wasn’t the time to ask questions. The merman obviously felt encouraged by Robert’s words and wrapped his tail around his leg again. Robert pulled him up a little, closer, between his legs, and kissed him again. Jimmy pressed his body up against Robert’s and made a surprised sound when the human moaned softly.

“Oh. Oh!” He said, pulling back to look down at Robert’s crotch and the obvious tent in his shorts. The blonde wondered why he was so surprised to find him hard, he must have felt how turned on he was through the bond. “Is it true... is it true that you can’t control this?” Jimmy asked curiously and Robert raised an eyebrow at him. So he really didn’t know that much about humans either, he thought.

“Yeah... if I get turned on it’s gonna get heard, whether I want it to or not. Especially if you’re rubbing against it like that.” He said with a little smirk that would have made Jimmy blush if he wasn’t already completely flushed. 

“That sounds... inconvenient.” He said with a little frown. “What if you have those kinds of thoughts in public and it happens?” He asked. Robert laughed.

“Well, that’s a problem. Especially for teenage boys. It’s not as bad now as it used to be, it used to get hard if the wind blew.” He chuckled. Jimmy stared at him with wide eyes.

“Humans are so strange.” He gasped, making Robert laugh again. 

“Why? What is it like for you? I... I don’t even know what... bits you guys have.” Robert admitted awkwardly. “All I know is that it’s... hidden?” Maybe he would finally find out more now. Jimmy nodded absentmindedly, still looking down at Robert’s shorts. 

“Yes. It is very different from yours.” He said with a little frown. “It’s not ‘hard’ or ‘soft’... it’s always the same when we decide to unsheathe it.” Now Robert was more intrigued than ever. Unsheathe?

“So you can just *decide* to do that? That’s awesome.” He said. “I kinda wished we were like that, that would have spared me a few awkward moments.” He chuckled. Jimmy smiled at him.

“I don’t know, I kind of like this.” He said, giving him a flirty look that made Robert raise an eyebrow at him. “I mean, this way I’ll know that what I’m doing is working and you want me.” He added, slowly trailing a finger down Roberts chest, then down his abs, never breaking eye contact. He completely took Robert’s breath away and it took him a moment to collect his thoughts.

“Wouldn’t the bond tell you that?” He breathed and Jimmy giggled.

“Yes, but some physical evidence is nice, too.” He said, tracing the skin along the waistband of Robert’s shorts with his fingernail, making his abs twitch ever so slightly. 

“Do you wanna take those off?” Robert found himself asking. He really wanted to know more about Jimmy, but he also really wanted to be touched and Jimmy seemed to be in an exploring kind of mood, so he wanted to let him do just that. The merman nodded, so Robert raised his hips to allow him to slide them down. He kicked them off and watched Jimmy in anticipation, hoping he wouldn’t be, for whatever reason, be disgusted or something. 

Luckily, he didn’t seem to be, at all. Instead, he seemed even more curious and intrigued as he looked at it, sitting up a little. Robert tried to find out what he was feeling or thinking, using their bond, but once again he found it quite difficult to pluck all those emotions apart. 

“It’s so... different.” Jimmy whispered. “It’s so long.” He added, glancing up at Robert’s face before looking down at it again. Robert loved hearing that, of course.

“You can touch it, if you want.” He said carefully. “I mean, I really want you to.” He added, making Jimmy giggle shyly, his frills flaring up in excitement again. He wasn’t too shy to actually touch it, though, making Robert sigh happily when he curled his long fingers around his cock for the first time. He closed his eyes and turned his head to nuzzle Jimmy’s neck. When he didn’t move away, he began to trail gentle kisses along his neck, from his collar bone to just behind his ear as Jimmy began to gently move his hand. 

“I like it when you do that.” Jimmy whispered, even though he really didn’t need to tell Robert, the human felt that very clearly through their bond, he heard the little hitch in his breathing and felt the little shivers running through his body, so he smiled against the smooth skin of Jimmy’s neck and did it some more before opening his eyes to watch his hand moving along his cock gently.

“That feels really good.” He said encouragingly.

“Can I touch you here?” Jimmy asked, moving his hand a little lower to brush his fingertips against Robert’s balls. The human nodded, a little reluctantly.

“Yes... carefully, though, those are fragile.” He chuckled.

“I know.” Jimmy giggled. “I’ll be careful, I won’t hurt you.” He added and Robert relaxed a little, lying back down. Jimmy moved with him and began kissing his neck as well. Robert closed his eyes and enjoyed the gentle caresses, moaning softly when the merman went back to stroking his cock, slowly and gently. He pulled him in for another kiss before resting his forehead against Jimmy’s.

“Fuck, that feels so good... I’ve been wanting this for so long.” He gasped. He was getting closer with every stroke of Jimmy’s hand and he could barely think clearly anymore. “I want you so much, I want... to touch you, too.” He whispered, kissing him again. Jimmy paused and blinked at him. “Please, show me?” The merman stopped touching him and untangled his tail from Robert’s leg, lying down next to him instead. He looked up at him insecurely.

“What if you don’t like it? What if you find it disgusting?” He whispered in a small voice. Robert smiled at him.

“Oh Jimmy. I thought about that too, just before letting you take off my pants, you know? I was worried you wouldn’t like it, too... but you did. And... in the end, you’re my mate, it’s yours, so I’m gonna love it, right?” He offered. 

“I hope so...” Jimmy mumbled. “I mean, I kind of knew what I was getting into, I’ve seen it in books, but you... have no idea. It’s not like yours. It’s different.”

“I know. We’re different. That’s ok.” Robert said soothingly. “Don’t worry about it. Just... show me and explain to me how this works, because, I’ll admit, this is a mystery to me.” He chuckled. “I don’t even know *where* it’s supposed to be.” He added, making Jimmy giggle despite everything. 

“Well...” He started, looking down his own body. His frills stopped moving completely for a second before quivering again as he made a decision. He opened his mouth as if to explain, but then he changed his mind. He took Robert’s hand and slowly put it on his belly, then began dragging it down. Robert thought it was incredibly hot that he was showing him rather than telling him, guiding his hand down his body slowly, stopping when he reached what Robert had always thought to be two very small little fins, about 5 inches below were the scales on his tail started, maybe 10 inches underneath where a belly button would be, if he had one.

Curiously, Robert caressed the area where Jimmy had left his hand, making the merman’s breath hitch again. He immediately noticed that there were no scales between those two little fins or whatever they were, it was soft and surprisingly warm skin, although it was just as green in color as the rest of his tail. That was probably why Robert had never noticed it before. 

He didn’t quite know what to do next, so he looked up at Jimmy’s face again and leaned in for another kiss. When the merman accepted eagerly, he kissed him deeply as he slowly caressed the area. The bond let him feel that those gentle caresses felt very good to Jimmy, so he just kept doing that as they kissed. 

He could feel that there was some sort of slit there, probably the sheath Jimmy had talked about earlier. He paused when, after a little while, his fingers felt wet and pulled them away, worried that he’d hurt Jimmy. Looking down, he saw that there was some slick, glistening moisture on them.

“Oh... oh no, I’m sorry...” The merman stammered and Robert could feel that he was ashamed. “I’m sorry if you’re disgusted...” 

“What...? No!” Robert said quickly, shaking his head. “Not at all! I was just worried that I hurt you...”

“You didn’t...” Jimmy mumbled and shifted a little closer to hide his face in Robert’s hair again. 

“Hey... don’t be ashamed. Can’t you feel that I’m not disgusted at all? On the contrary.” Robert whispered and kissed his cheek gently. “I just didn’t expect... well, that. What is it?”

“It’s... it’s just... lubrication.” Jimmy said awkwardly, still not looking up at him. “You got me very excited.”

“Ah. I get it.” Robert chuckled. “That’s really hot, actually.” He murmured and began kissing Jimmy’s neck again, remembering how much he’d liked that. 

When he felt him relax in his arms again, he started caressing that spot again, slowly rubbing along the slit, not quite daring to dip his finger inside. It was quite a bit like being with a human girl, he thought, which was a little odd to him, as Jimmy was anything *but* that, but on the other hand, it was very exciting. Jimmy had started touching him again as well soon, he had a very one track mind again. 

“Won’t you show me what’s hiding in there?” He then asked. Jimmy hesitated for a moment before nodding, so Robert moved his hand aside, resting it on Jimmy’s hip.

The merman was clearly nervous about this and Robert felt him taking a deep, steadying breath before finally showing him. Slowly, he pushed it out of his sheath and Robert couldn’t help but stare. He’d been right, it was very different, he hadn’t expected it to be that different. 

It actually reminded him more of a tongue than a cock, much shorter than his own, it was incredibly wide at the base and tapered down a lot towards the small head. It was also kind of flat-ish rather than round, making it look even more tongue-like. He thought it actually looked quite nice, he was a little relieved that it wasn’t green, it was pink and glistening with the same slick stuff he’d felt on his fingers earlier. There were no balls, just the slick, pink, tongue-like appendage.

Robert wasn’t all that surprised that he found himself liking it. A lot. He wanted to touch it. He’d never been attracted to a guy before, but with this merman, everything was different anyways, so it didn’t matter. At all. He wasn’t even human, so he didn’t feel bad about liking it. 

“Say something?” He almost jumped when Jimmy prompted him, sounding worried and self-conscious because of the way his mate was staring at him. Robert chuckled.

“Oh Jimmy, you had nothing to be worried about. Yes, it’s different, but I love it.” He said. “I love everything about you.” He added and the merman breathed a sigh of relief, smiling up at him. Now that the burden of nervousness and awkwardness fell from Jimmy’s shoulders, he began kissing Robert again, more heatedly than before. 

Robert closed his eyes and allowed himself to get lost in those eager, heated kisses and the quick, almost clumsy caresses Jimmy was bestowing on him. The merman was all over him, pushing him back onto the blanket they’d spread on the beach in their cave, kissing, touching, licking him wherever he could reach. Robert was almost overwhelmed by the double onslaught that he got, feeling just how excited and aroused Jimmy was through their bond as well as his own emotions. It made his head spin, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. 

He felt how Jimmy’s usually so cold body became warmer and warmer, he’d never felt him like that before, not even after he’d pulled him through the water, exhausting himself. When he opened his eyes, the markings on Jimmy’s skin were darker than he’d ever seen them, now the same dark emerald green as the scales on his tail. He was breathtakingly gorgeous like that and Robert wanted this moment to last forever. 

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered as soon as he got the chance, when Jimmy stopped kissing him for a second. The merman paused, blinking down at him as if he’d only just realized where he was, then he smiled, finally slowing down a little, pecking his lips gently before trailing some kisses along his jawline. 

“You’re gorgeous, too... I can’t get enough of you.” Jimmy whispered into his ear, his soft voice a little rougher than usually. “I love the way you taste, the way you smell, the way your body feels against mine... I want... I want... I don’t know what exactly I want.” Jimmy finished feverishly with a helpless little chuckle. Robert couldn’t help but smile at that.

“I know. It’s alright.” He cooed, caressing Jimmy’s back gently. “We’ll figure it out.” He said, then glanced down between their bodies. Jimmy was between his legs, propped up on his tail a little. Their cocks were almost touching, if he raised his hips just a little... they both gasped softly when he did just that, rubbing himself up against the merman slowly. 

“Oh, yes...” Jimmy sighed and within seconds, he was all over Robert again, kissing, nuzzling, licking, so eager. He started wiggling between Robert’s legs again, rubbing himself against him and the human smiled when he felt the end of his tail curl around his ankle. Apparently, Jimmy couldn’t quite suppress that instinct. 

“Hey, hey... slow down baby... slow down.” He chuckled, making Jimmy pause and blink at him in confusion. “I didn’t even get to touch you yet and you’re already racing towards the finish line.” His mate didn’t look like he really understood what exactly he meant, but he stopped what he was doing anyways, letting Robert take the lead for a change. 

“Finish line?” He asked, confused.

“Well, yeah... I could tell you were getting pretty close to finishing right there. You know... coming? Getting off?” When Jimmy just blinked at him, he cursed inwardly, he’d really have to buy Jimmy a dictionary that taught him some of the more useful expressions, especially when it came to this. “An orgasm, I mean.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Oh. Why is that bad?” Jimmy asked self-consciously, absentmindedly drawing little circles on Robert’s chest with his finger.

“It’s not *bad*, it’s just... I didn’t want to rush this, I didn’t want this to end just yet. I’ve been waiting for this for so long, I wanted to enjoy this for a while, I wanted to explore your body a little, too...” Robert stammered, starting to feel bad about making Jimmy feel awkward. 

“But why would it end?” Jimmy asked, an adorable little frown on his pretty face. 

“Uhm. I mean... I don’t know about you, but once I came, I’m done. It’s over.” Robert chuckled. Jimmy’s eyes widened almost comically and he gasped.

“What?? No! You can only... ‘come’... once?? Ever?” He whispered in utter bewilderment. Robert searched his face for a moment for any sign that he was making fun of him or something, but then he realized that Jimmy was entirely serious. He actually thought that humans could only come once in their life. He tried to hold back, but he couldn’t do it, he burst out laughing. 

“Oh, you silly merman, you!” He howled. Jimmy looked offended and glared at him and when he still didn’t stop laughing, he slapped his legs with his fin and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Robert took a moment to calm down. “I’m sorry... I’m so sorry, but this is so funny... no! Of course I can’t only come once, *ever*. But... once I did, it takes me a while until I can go again, you know. I take it that is different for you?”

“Yes!” Jimmy said quickly. “We are very different, for us it’s like... the more, the better, you know?” He mumbled. “I’d just keep going until I’m too exhausted to move.” 

“Wow... ok.” Robert raised an eyebrow. In all honesty, that sounded a tad bit intimidating, it made it sound like he could never truly please his lover. He still felt awful for making Jimmy feel bad and pondered on how to turn this situation around again. He smiled at the merman when he had an idea. “You know, that’s awesome, actually. That sounds like I could have a lot of fun with you.” He said, lowering his voice and leaning in closer to his mate.

“Oh.” Jimmy whispered, looking up at Robert with big eyes. “Does it?” He asked, almost innocently, but Robert noticed the sparkle in his eyes and grinned at him. 

“Hmmmhm.” He hummed, refraining from any more words. Instead, he gently pushed Jimmy on his back and kissed him, starting to caress the smooth expanse of skin of his torso. They both sighed happily, Jimmy at the gentle touch, Robert at how soft and smooth his skin was save for the slightly rougher patches where he had some scales along his shoulder and his forearms. 

He trailed his hand lower as he moved on to kiss Jimmy’s neck and his shoulders, caressing his flat belly before feeling his way along the cool scales a little lower until he wrapped his hand around Jimmy’s cock. The merman yelped and made a strangled little noise and quickly pulled it back into its sheath. Robert pulled his hand back and raised his head to stare at him.

“Fuck, sorry! Did I hurt you??” He asked worriedly, looking down at where, just a second ago, Jimmy’s cock had been. The merman blinked at him, then started giggling, to Robert’s relief.

“No!” He laughed. “Your hand just felt a lot rougher than what I’m used to and it took me by surprise.” He admitted. Robert glanced at his hand and cringed. Of course, they were quite calloused due to a lot of physical labour he’d been doing when he was younger and more recently, from playing the guitar day in, day out. They were a lot rougher than Jimmy’s dainty, soft merman fingers.

“I’m sorry.” He said softly and nuzzled Jimmy’s neck.

“It’s alright... you can touch me, it’s ok.” Jimmy answered and turned his head to kiss the tip of his nose lovingly, making Robert smile. He watched, intrigued, as Jimmy unsheathed his cock again. For some reason, that was still like magic to him and he knew it’d be a while before he’d get used to that, if ever. 

“That’s so neat, you know. If you don’t like something, you can just tuck it away and everything’s fine.” Robert chuckled. “It’s never in the way, either, and it never causes awkward moments!” 

“Didn’t I tell you once that we’re most definitely the far superior species?” Jimmy said confidently and flashed him a grin, making Robert laugh again.

“You may just be right about that.” He agreed and kissed his mate, effectively shutting him up. He took up his exploration of Jimmy’s body once more, curiously trying to find all the places he liked to be touched, until he finally dared to touch his cock again. It was now covered in a new layer of the slick, glistening moisture, helping Robert’s fingers glide over the sensitive flesh much more easily. He was much more careful and gentle this time, keeping his touch light.

Jimmy moaned softly and pulled Robert into another kiss and soon started bucking his hips into Robert’s hand, wanting more. It didn’t take long for Robert to find out just how Jimmy liked to be touched, despite it not being like anything he’d ever touched before. Jimmy eagerly let him hear when he liked something and his cock kept getting slicker and more slippery in his hand. The blonde couldn’t help but sigh in pleasure as well, their bond had grown so strong by now that he could feel Jimmy’s pleasure so clearly, it felt so good that he didn’t even need to be touched at all. Just touching his mate soon brought him close as well.

“Robert, I need, I want... I want us to... come together.” Jimmy gasped, pulling him closer and kissing him feverishly. “Please. Let me touch you, too.” Robert complied immediately, shifting a little so Jimmy could touch him in turn. From there on, it was all a huge flurry for Robert, they were both past the point of no return, they moaned each other’s name into open-mouthed kisses and everything was pleasure, pure, all consuming pleasure like he’d never felt before and Jimmy, only Jimmy, nothing else mattered. 

When he came around again, they were still clinging to each other, still breathing heavily. The most wonderful feeling of utter satisfaction and completion filled Robert and he couldn’t stop the silly smile from spreading all over his face. He’d never felt like this before in his entire life, it was overwhelming, in the best way possible. 

When he looked down, there were thick strings of come on Jimmy’s belly, some on his hand as well, much thicker than a human’s would be and if Robert hadn’t been so overwhelmed, he’d be quite fascinated by it. However, he could only really think about how amazing all of that had felt, almost like a spiritual experience.

“Do you feel that, too?” He asked Jimmy as soon as he managed to gather his wits. 

// Yes. I heard that it is intense, but I didn’t know just how wonderful it feels. //When Jimmy answered, Robert didn’t even notice that he hadn’t spoken out loud, still too dazed by the intensity of it all, but when he did, he raised his head from where it had been resting on the merman’s shoulder, staring at him in surprise.

“Did you just... did I just hear that in my mind??” He gasped. Jimmy just smiled at him widely and reached up to caress his cheek.

// You did. Our bond is strong enough now. // He answered. Somewhere along that sentence, Robert realized that Jimmy wasn’t speaking english, or human at all, he was speaking the language of the merpeople through their bond, but Robert had no problem at all understanding what he was saying.

“I... I... I don’t understand, how come I can understand what you’re saying??” He stammered, taken aback. It wasn’t lost on him that he had no idea how to use the bond to talk to Jimmy telepathically. 

// Because this isn’t about language, it’s about communication, from my mind to yours. // Jimmy said. // And vice versa, of course, but it might take you a little longer to get the hang of it, you’ve never used telepathy before. //

“Right.” Robert whispered. “You did hear my thoughts earlier, so it must be possible...”

// It is. Don’t worry about it, Robert. Just let it happen. // Jimmy said gently, pulling him to rest in his arms again. Robert rested his head on his mate’s chest and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to let it all sink in, how intense everything had felt and the way their bond felt now, solid and strong.

‘I love you.’ Robert thought, hoping it’d get through to Jimmy. He focused harder on the bond, on Jimmy’s mind. ‘I love you... I love you...’. 

// I LOVE YOU! // 

When Jimmy jumped and started laughing, Robert opened his eyes to look up at him in surprise.

// You don’t have to yell. // The merman said in amusement. // I love you, too. // Robert beamed at him happily, so it had actually worked! He leaned in to kiss Jimmy gently, he was unbelievably happy in that very moment and nothing else seemed to matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't intended this chapter to be that long or that intense. But that's how it turned out so that's what it is! I hope you enjoyed it, if you did, please do let me know <3


	19. Start of an adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Jimmy spend some time in cave, cuddling and talking, but then, Robert takes his mate on an adventure!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "..." is regular speech  
//...// is telepathic speech
> 
> Any homophobia (internalized homophobia) in this chapter is only due to it being the 70's, don't take it the wrong way, please. <3

They stayed just like that, for a while, unwilling to move, unwilling to part from each other, even for a second. Robert rested his head on Jimmy’s shoulder once more and smiled when the merman kissed the top of his head lovingly. 

He couldn’t help but notice that Jimmy hadn’t tucked his cock back in yet, and he wondered if that meant he wanted more. Judging by what he’d said earlier, Robert was pretty sure it did, he sounded like he was almost insatiable, so after a small moment of hesitation, he began caressing it again, slowly and gently for now. 

When Jimmy made a very pleased sound, curled the end of his tail tightly around the blonde’s ankle and nuzzled his neck, Robert knew he’d been right and chuckled softly to himself. While he was still a little worried that he’d never be able to truly satisfy his mate, he knew he’d do his best either way, whatever it may take. He loved touching him, making him feel good. 

Through their bond, Jimmy’s thoughts soon bled into a stream of consciousness, a steady mantra of ‘yes’, ‘Robert’, ‘so good’, ‘more’ and ‘please’ and Robert couldn’t get enough of it. He sat up a little, propped up on his elbow, and allowed Jimmy to snuggle close to him, still nuzzling his neck, his hair, sighing happily. 

After Robert got him off three more times, Jimmy finally sheathed it again and Robert was left feeling quite dazed by the onslaught of everything he’d felt the past few hours, both his own feelings as well as the merman’s, now that everything was calming down. He wondered if he’d ever get used to the way the bond felt or of it would always be that overwhelming. 

Absentmindedly, he toyed with the thick, pearly strings of merman cum left on his fingers, marveling at the strange consistency until Jimmy’s laughter made him look up at him. 

“What are you doing?” Jimmy asked, amused, using his voice to talk to him instead of their bond. 

“Sorry. It’s different.” Robert said, giving him a sheepish grin. Jimmy laughed and looked at his own hand, then nodded.

“It is.” He said, pausing for a moment, then they both laughed again. “We should probably wash.” 

Robert nodded in agreement and made to reach across Jimmy to put his hand in the water, but the merman stopped him with a slightly disgusted look on his face. It took the human a moment to understand, but of course Jimmy wouldn’t want him to do that, just like he didn’t want him to just pee in the lake, either. It only made sense, so he let the merman show him how to clean himself with sand and bury the soiled sand before rinsing with water. 

“You know... we never talked about this, but... don’t you mind that we’re both men?” Robert asked, then. Jimmy raised a delicate eyebrow at him.

“Why would I mind that?” He asked, utterly confused.

“I don’t know... your family doesn’t seem to mind, either.” The blonde shrugged.

“Well... why would they?” Jimmy asked again, frowning. 

“Isn’t it... unusual? Or is it... normal, for merpeople?” Robert found himself wondering. 

“What? Two men being mates, in love?” The merman asked. “Why wouldn’t it be normal? Is it strange for humans?”

“Yeah, kind of. People have a lot of nasty words for guys who... well, like guys.” Robert shrugged. “It’s not really... socially acceptable.”

“That’s... odd.” Jimmy shook his head. “Humans are weird. Why isn’t it acceptable? Love is love, is it not?”

“It is. I know that, now. I have to admit I didn’t always think like that.” Robert admitted, looking down. “I just didn’t understand it, before, I mean. I only ever heard people talking shit about it, saying it’s bad, it’s sinful... so I believed that, you know. It’s mostly old people saying stuff like that, younger people are more accepting, these days, but... it’s far from the norm.” 

Jimmy looked at him, then shook his head again, drawing some circles into the sand with a finger. He sighed sadly.

“Humanity has a long way to go, I think.” He said thoughtfully. Robert couldn’t help but agree. A part of him thought that his parents would have a bigger problem with Jimmy being male than with him being an entirely different species. 

Jimmy went into the lake for a quick swim and to hydrate before coming back to him, sitting on the towel next to him. It was getting late, but the sun still hadn’t set, it was summer after all. The cave was illuminated by a warm glow, making it even more beautiful and as much as Robert loved being here, he knew he had to get back to his apartment very soon. He had to call in sick at work, at least for a few days, he needed food and water, he had to shave. It sounded so simple, yet it seemed out of reach for now. 

“What’s going through your mind? The bond is only giving me very jumbled thoughts that make no sense.” Jimmy said, looking at him curiously as he reached out to tuck a stray braid behind Robert’s ear.

“Well... I told you I’m running out of food and water... and I need to talk to my employers... I need to go home. At least for a bit.” Robert sighed. He didn’t feel like he could leave Jimmy at this point. Not yet. 

“How far is it?” The merman asked, looking down thoughtfully.

“Not all that far. A 10 minute drive only, but... I don’t feel like we should be apart for that long, it’d be a while before I get back.” Robert shook his head. “It doesn’t feel right. I’m afraid it could hurt the bond.” 

“Yes...” Jimmy sighed. “It very well may, it’s still so fragile, I can feel that. It feels strong, but underneath, it’s really not.” 

“It’s hasn’t even been two days.” Robert said. “It makes sense.”

“What do we do? I could ask my family to bring some more food, but I don’t know how to get water you can drink.” Jimmy sighed. “If you lose your job, you can always find another one, right?” Robert huffed.

“Sure, but... it’s not just that.” He said. “I have a plan. A plan that includes this job.” 

“Uhm... alright? What does that mean?” Jimmy asked. 

“Well, we can’t stay in this cave forever, right? What are we going to do in winter? I can’t come into the water with you in winter. I don’t want to have to spend like 6 months apart from you.” Robert explained. 

“I don’t want that either, but what has that got to do with your job?” Jimmy frowned. Robert sensed that he was getting irritated, so he tried to sort his thoughts and explain. 

“There’s this house right on top of his cave, right on the cliff. It’s old and run down, but it’s for sale. I want to buy it. I want to connect the house to the cave, somehow. I... I don’t know how, yet, but I want to see if maybe I can have something built underneath the house, like a big basement that would include a heated pool so we could spend time together even in winter, without me dying of hypothermia and without you drying out!” He gushed and Jimmy blinked at him with big eyes. 

“A heated pool? Like... with warm water?? That sounds absolutely wonderful... I still don’t understand what that has to do with your job. I mean, I understand you need money for that, but why is *this job* specifically so important?” He asked. 

“Well, you see, the couple that runs that hotel, they’re pretty old. They’re looking to retire soon and since they don’t have kids to take over the hotel...” Robert trailed off and shrugged. “They like me. They know I’m doing a good job. I’m hoping that they’ll pick me to carry on the legacy of the hotel.” He finished. 

“Oh. Oh! I understand! That would get you a lot more money a lot more quickly, right?” Jimmy guessed and Robert nodded.

“Exactly. With a regular job, I could probably afford to buy the old, run down house at some point, but I would never be able to afford renovating it and building the basement. But as the owner of the hotel, and if I expand a little, maybe buy another one or something... I could make enough money to make that possible for us. Not this winter, of course, not even next winter, but someday soon.”

“You really want to make this work, don’t you?” Jimmy said with a strange little smile, reaching out to caress Robert’s cheek. 

“I do. Of course I do. I told you I’d find a way.” The blonde said, leaning into the caress. 

“To be honest, I didn’t think you actually would. But you did. If this actually works out, it would be absolutely perfect.” Jimmy sighed. “We wouldn’t have to worry about winter, at all. We could be together whenever we wanted...”

“And that’s why I can’t fuck this up. It’s our only chance.” Robert said. “I have to talk to them and ask them for a few days off, maybe two weeks, until all of this has settled down and our bond is strong enough not to break again.”

“Then you should go. Maybe we should risk it, maybe the bond is strong enough after all.” Jimmy said uncomfortably. 

“I have a better idea.” Robert smiled. “I’ll take you with me.” He added. Jimmy’s eyes went big once more as he stared at the human. 

“What? How? I can’t walk! Even if I crawled there, people would see us!” He gasped.

“I’m going to carry you. We’re going to leave after the sun has set and everybody is asleep. It’s a sunday night, nobody’s gonna be out on the street...” Robert said.

“Carry me?? Absolutely not, I’m not a hatchling! I will not be carried!” Jimmy said and stuck his cute nose up in the air defiantly. Robert laughed.

“Of course you’re not a hatchling, but as you pointed out, you can’t walk.” He said. “Hey, I let you pull me through the water, why won’t you let me help you? I’d love to show you my home, aren’t you curious?” He asked, knowing very well that the scientist in Jimmy would want to see his place. The merman blinked at him, then looked down, blushing slightly.

“I am.” He admitted. “I’ve always longed to see, to *actually* see how humans live on the surface, not just to read about it in old, wet books.” He sighed. “But it sounds so risky. What if someone does see us?”

“I just have to carry you to my car. It’s right outside the cave. I’ll put you in the car, drive us to my place and before I get you out, I’ll make sure nobody’s around.” Robert said. Jimmy didn’t look convinced in the least, but the blonde could definitely tell that he was winning, the merman was way too curious to say no and let the chance to see human things up close, in their own world, just pass. 

“I guess we could do that...” He mumbled, nervously toying with the little pearl chain attached to one of his fins. Robert smiled and reached out to take his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. 

“I promise I will keep you safe. I’ll make sure nobody sees you.” He said solemnly.

“What if I need water, though?” Jimmy mumbled worriedly, looking up at Robert through his lashes.

“I have a bathtub. I’ll put you in there.” Robert said. His apartment wasn’t much, just a single room with a little kitchenette in the corner, but it did have a nice bathroom. Jimmy crinkled his nose.

“That is so undignified.” He said in disgust, making Robert laugh.

“It’s the price you’ll have to pay in order to experience humanity first hand!” He said, grinning at the merman. Jimmy sighed, giving in. They spent the time until sunset talking and cuddling, Jimmy went to get hydrated once more and once it was almost dark, Robert got off of the big towel they were sitting on. He opened his box and took out the smaller towel he usually used to dry his hair with after going for a swim and went to wet it in the late.

“Here, wrap this around yourself, covering your gills. That should prevent them from drying out.” He said, handing the wet towel to the merman. “Hold on to the flashlight, too.” Jimmy nodded and did as he was told, then Robert gathered the edges of the large towel, grinning at Jimmy, and turned it into a makeshift sling the other was sitting in.

“Hold on to my shoulders.” He told the merman, crouching down in front of him, his back towards Jimmy, holding the end of the towel in his fists, close to his chest. Jimmy sighed again, but then did as he was told and Robert slowly got up. The merman’s grip on him tightened and he gasped as he was lifted up.

“Are you sure I’m not too heavy?” He asked anxiously. If he was being honest, Robert thought that Jimmy was way heavier than he looked, he looked so slim, almost skinny, but he was actually really heavy, not that he’d tell him that. Most of that weight must be his long, muscular tail, he supposed.

“You’re not. It’s fine. The towel helps. Are you comfortable?” Robert asked. 

“Yes, the towel was a good idea.” Jimmy admitted. He still sounded anxious, but at least he wasn’t uncomfortable. Robert started walking towards the tunnel that would take them to his car and Jimmy switched on the flashlight he was holding, shining it across Robert’s shoulder to light the way for him through the dark cave. 

Robert breathed a sigh of relief when they made it through the tunnel and his car was within reach, he just wasn’t used to carrying such weights on his back anymore. 

“I’ll have to put you down to open the door...” He said when they reached the car. “I’m going to put you in the back so in case there’s anyone on the sidewalk or something, you can lie down and cover yourself with the towel, alright?” 

“Sounds good to me.” Jimmy said warily. Robert gently lowered him to the ground and opened the car door. He quickly removed some stuff he had on the back seat before picking Jimmy back up, bridal style this time, and gently putting him on the back seat of his car. 

“There you go. Now you’re in a car! How does that feel?” He grinned. Jimmy looked around for a bit, wide eyed, then up at him.

“I cannot tell you how nervous I am.” He then said and Robert’s expression softened. He crouched down in front of Jimmy and took his hands again.

“I told you I was going to keep you safe. I’m not going to let anybody see you, I promise.” He repeated.

“I know, I know, still. This is scary to me. Just like that tunnel was scary to you.” Jimmy mumbled. “Well, I suppose at least I cannot drown or suffocate up here, but still.” 

“I understand. It’s alright. You’re with me, you’re safe. We’ll be back in the cave before you can miss it, I promise.” He said and squeezed Jimmy’s hands again. The merman nodded and gave him a little squeeze in turn.

When Robert got into the car as well and turned the key, he had to reassure Jimmy once again as the merman made a startled sound when the engine roared to life. Slowly, Robert steered the car out of the patch of forest he usually left it in and onto the road. He almost felt a little bad about it being dark, this way Jimmy couldn’t see as much as he would at daytime, but then again, the merman had much better night vision than him in the first place.

“We can drive around a bit in the morning, if you like, on our way back, after sunrise.” He said.

“Wouldn’t that be dangerous?” Jimmy asked.

“Nah, it’s fine. People are just gonna see another dark haired person in the backseat, nobody is going to notice that you’re not human.” Robert shrugged it off.

“You’re probably right. I need to stop worrying so much, I should be excited about this.” Jimmy said. “No other merperson has *ever* had an opportunity like this. I should be grateful.” He added and leaned closer to the window, looking outside. They’d made it into the little town by now and Robert slowed down a little so Jimmy could look at the houses and everything around them for a bit. When he made it to the hotel he worked at, he pulled over and switched off the engine.

“Well, here we are, this is the hotel I work at.” Robert said. It was almost midnight and nobody was up anymore, or at least not as far as he knew, looking around. “I live in a small apartment in the back, behind the actual hotel.”

“It’s beautiful.” Jimmy breathed as he looked up at the large, old building. It was a very nice hotel, Robert had to admit, maybe a tad bit old fashioned, but the people that came to stay there during their vacation loved it. It had a very homely, warm feel to it, he thought. 

“Let me just go to the back and open the door, I’ll check to make sure nobody’s around, too, alright?” Robert said, looking back at Jimmy across his shoulder. The merman nodded and pulled the towel around his shoulders.

“I’ll hide if I see someone.” He said with a little smile. Robert smiled right back at him, he could tell that Jimmy was starting to enjoy their little adventure and he was glad that he did. The blonde got out of the car and took a moment to scan their surroundings. Just like he had expected, nobody was around. Making his way to the back, he smiled to himself. It was nice to be able to show Jimmy his home, show him more of his things, just to have him around in his own space. It felt intimate. 

// Looks safe back here, too. You alright over there? // He decided to ask Jimmy through their bond, hoping he would get through even at a slight distance.

// Yes! I saw an animal, Robert! It had a big, bushy tail and it went up a tree! // Jimmy told him excitedly and the human chuckled.

// Squirrel. // He told him quickly. // On my way to get you now. // He added once he opened the door to his apartment, leaving it wide open so he could carry Jimmy through easily. When he opened the car door, Jimmy beamed up at him excitedly and eagerly wrapped his arms around Robert’s neck as the blond picked him up. The blonde carried him to his apartment quickly and kicked the door shut behind himself, it wasn’t like there was anybody around that would be bothered by it, the little house his place was in was far enough away from the hotel. 

“Sooo, this is my place.” Robert said as he gently lowered Jimmy to sit on the sofa. He took a few steps back to fumble around to switch on the light, then he looked at his mate to see his reaction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long! I was busy with work and life and stuff, I was lacking inspiration... but I am back! :) With a sligthly shorter chapter to start with, but it's here!  
Please let me know what you thought. (Please? *-* Pretty please with a cherry on top?)
> 
> What do you think these two will get up to now that they're at Robert's place? :) So much to explore for a merman!


	20. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jimmy finally gets to see a human home, eat warm, human food, drink human drinks. They have a good time, but also stumble upon something neither of them expected, a certain food seems to have a special effect on the merman.

Shoulders pulled up, flists clenched, tail curled up, Jimmy looked decidedly uncomfortable and scared. His expression, though, was one of complete awe and fascination, looking around Robert’s living room, well, the only room, with wide eyes. 

“Don’t judge it too harshly, I know it isn’t much. I’ve only been living here for a few weeks... haven’t had the time or the money to... you know, make it mine.” Robert said, feeling a tad bit self-conscious. Jimmy blinked at him in surprise, then he smiled. 

“It’s... wonderful.” He breathed. “It looks... cozy.” He added with a little smile, still looking around, taking everything in. It was true, Robert hadn’t had much time to do a lot with the place, but he’d done his damn best to make it as cozy and homely as humanly possible in the short amount of time and the limited funds he’d had. There were loads of blankets and pillows both on his little sofa as well as on the bed on the other side of the room, there were several plushy carpets on the floor, he’d hung all sorts of things on the wall from paintings, polaroids, some of his necklaces and other jewelry to posters of his favorite artists. 

It looked a little messy, there was a lot going on, a lot of colors and patterns, but Robert liked it that way. It suited him, it made him feel at home. He’d needed the comfort badly when he first moved there, all alone, his friends and family miles away. 

“I thought so, too...” Robert answered and gave the merman a sheepish smile. “I needed it to be comfortable and... comforting, you know. I needed a place for myself, where I’d feel good and cozy, after you left.” He admitted. Jimmy glanced up at him, then looked down at his hands.

“I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t realize it would cause you so much pain, too. I really thought I was doing you a favor.” He sighed. Robert went over and sat next to him on the old sofa, gently wrapping his arms around Jimmy’s shoulders. The merman immediately leaned into him, nuzzling his neck.

“I know. I understand.” Robert cooed and kissed the top of his head. “You meant well, you’re not a bad person for what you did. In the end, it all worked out.” 

“Luckily.” Jimmy breathed and closed his eyes briefly, just enjoying the fact that he was in Robert’s arms, they were close and everything was fine. 

“Now, we have some time, it’ll be a few hours before I can call my boss... you can explore the place as much as you want, I can show you whatever you wanna see, we can have some food... I’m actually starving, so I’ll go see if I have anything I can make...” Robert said and let go of Jimmy. He got up and walked over to the little kitchen in the corner of the room, crouching down to start to rummage through the cupboards. 

Jimmy watched him curiously, then slid off the sofa and came over to him, to peep into the cupboards as well, from time to time taking out a pot or a pan to look at it. Robert chuckled and let him, watching him take everything in was delightful, so he didn’t mind at all. 

His little fridge didn’t hold anything of interest to him, although Jimmy was very curious about the cans of beer as well as the moldy vegetables in the back. Robert cleared his throat, embarrassed, and quickly tossed them in the bin, explaining how they were no longer good to eat. 

“It’s so cold.” Jimmy mumbled, distracted, as he picked up a can of beer, holding it in his hands and reading the label.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s a fridge, that’s the point. It keeps food fresh for a while...” Robert said. “And beer only really tastes good if it’s really cold.” He added with a chuckle. He noticed with delight that the peaches he’d bought a few days ago, before Jimmy came back to him, were still fine. They hadn’t quite been ripe yet when he’d bought them, but now they were perfect. They’d make a lovely desert. 

“Can I have one?” Jimmy asked, still holding the can of beer, and Robert raised an eyebrow at him, then chuckled.

“Of course. However, let’s have some food, first, hm?” He said, amused. He opened another cupboard, relieved when he found two large cans of soup in there. He was incredibly hungry and the thick, rich potato soup would fill him up nicely, and there was enough for him to share it with Jimmy as well. He picked them up and showed them to the merman.

“Oh! Soup! That means... it’s not dry, like the... crackers you shared with me, right?” Jimmy said. Robert laughed and nodded.

“Exactly. I thought this might be more up your alley.” He said, amused. “Let me warm it up, though.” He added and took one of the pots Jimmy had been inspecting. He got up and put the pot on the stove. Finding his can opener took him a moment and he noticed Jimmy still watching him curiously from the floor. Suddenly, he felt sorry for him, he couldn’t see what he was doing, so he put the cans down and pulled up one of the chairs from the little table he had next to the kitchen.

“Wanna sit up here? You can watch.” He offered. Jimmy was delighted and immediately climbed on the chair. It took him a moment to get up there, but Robert refrained from helping him, knowing that Jimmy wouldn’t like that at all, he wanted to get around on his own, even on land. Once he made it up on the chair, he beamed at Robert happily, leaning on the counter with his arms to watch him. 

“This is so exciting!” He quipped and Robert laughed again. It was utterly adorable, how a simple task like opening a can of soup was so alien and exciting to his mate. He laughed even harder when, as soon as he’d opened the cans, Jimmy couldn’t hold back and stuck a finger into the soup, licking it curiously.

“Bloody hell, Jimmy.” He shook his head, grinning. “You’ll get your fill, no worries, just let me heat it up!”

“Sorry.” The merman mumbled in embarrassment, looking down.

“Hey, it’s alright... I get that you’re curious, but I promise, it’s much better when it’s warm.” Robert said soothingly. 

“I already liked it, though.” Jimmy admitted, licking his lips. Robert smiled at that again, he would probably be just as curious if he somehow got to see Jimmy’s place down there, way at the bottom of the ocean. He then turned back to the stove and switched on the burner he’d put the pot on. When the light blue flamed came on, Jimmy almost jumped out of his skin and made a startled sound. 

“It’s ok, it’s alright, don’t be scared!” Robert said quickly.

“I didn’t expect there to be fire.” Jimmy said, staring at it with wide eyes. “I-I’ve never seen fire.” He admitted. “I thought you’d use electricity to heat things up.” He was clearly scared by the little blue flames. 

“Well... there are more modern, electric stoves, sure, but... this apartment only had the old gas one.” He shrugged. “I actually like it, it’s much quicker than the new ones.” He added. “It’s alright, I promise. It’s not gonna hurt you, just stay away from the burner.” 

“I can feel the heat.” Jimmy said, staring at the light blue flames licking at the bottom of the pot, utterly fascinated now that the initial fear had worn off a little. He watched Robert pour the soup into the pot, adding a spoon to stir it. 

“This won’t take long...” He mused. “Hey, keep an eye on it, would you? Just keep stirring, I’ll just set the table so we can eat.” He then said and gave Jimmy the spoon. The merman looked a little frightened by that, once again, but took the spoon and carefully moved it around in the pot while Robert got some bowls and spoons. He also added a little plate and a small, sharp knife to cut the peaches into pieces later.

He thought that some music might be nice, so he picked a blues record and out it on, immediately noticing Jimmy’s pleased smile when he heard the soft tunes.

By the time he was done setting the table, Jimmy seemed a lot more confident sitting at the stove, stirring the soup. It had started steaming, occasionally some bubbles were rising up, which seemed to amuse the merman greatly. Robert switched off the stove and grinned at his mate.

“Now, there’s two options for you. Either you hop off the chair, let me move it to the table and hop back on, or I can move you to the table with the chair, if you don’t mind.” He said. Jimmy seemed to contemplate for a moment, before shrugging.

“It seems easier for you to just move me over there.” He said, but Robert could tell that he didn’t like the thought of being moved around like that much. The blonde made quick work of it, quickly moving the chair and his mate to the table, making sure he was close enough and comfortable. 

Robert opened two cans of beer, one for each of them, then he filled their bowls with soup and sat down at the table as well. He was curious to see how Jimmy would like the hot soup, so he waited for the merman to take his first spoonful. 

“Careful, it’s really hot. You can blow on it to make it a little cooler.” He said and did just that to his own spoonful. Jimmy watched him, then followed his example, but he blew way too hard, causing quite a bit of the soup to splatter on the table in front of him, making Robert laugh.

“Oh no. I’m sorry.” Jimmy stammered, embarrassed. 

“It’s alright... it’s your first time.” Robert gave him a smile before starting to eat. The merman soon got the hang of it, too, and sighed happily.

“This is SO good! Warm food is the BEST!” He said enthusiastically. Robert loved how happy he seemed, just sitting at this old, little, wooden table in his small apartment, eating some canned soup. He almost wished he had something better to treat his mate to, but this was all he had. 

“I’m glad you like it, baby.” He said gently, smiling at him. “Wanna try the beer?” He then asked, curious to see if the merman would like that. Jimmy glanced at the can.

“We don’t... ‘drink’ liquids, you know. I’ve never done that.” He admitted. Robert briefly wondered how they got their hydration, but living in water, they probably didn’t need that. “I’m afraid I’ll... uh... “mess up”.” 

“Mess up? How?” He asked curiously.

“I mean... I’m used to... water going through my gills once it goes into my mouth, right?” Jimmy said. 

“Oh. Oh, I get it. You’re afraid you won’t know how to swallow the beer?” Robert asked. Jimmy nodded. “Why? It works just fine with the soup.”

“But that’s thicker.” Jimmy mumbled. That was true, Robert thought.

“Well, just... give it a try, take a small sip. Take it slow. Beer in your gills doesn’t sound very comfortable.” He said, reaching for his own can as well. Jimmy nodded and carefully picked his can up. After the first sip, he started coughing, that hadn’t gone well, but he didn’t let it stop him, he tried again and managed that time. 

“This is bitter. But I like it.” He said, again licking his lips. Robert couldn’t help but watch his long, pointy tongue once again. It was just intriguing. “This is so odd to me. I can’t wait to tell my family about all of this.” 

“Eating human food? Drinking beer?” Robert chuckled. “They’re gonna judge me for giving you alcohol.” 

“Oh, this has alcohol, right.” Jimmy mumbled, looking at the can again to read the label. 

“Not much.” Robert shrugged, finishing his can before getting up to get himself another one. “This isn’t gonna be bad for you, is it?” He then asked worriedly. Jimmy flashed him a toothy grin.

“We have foods that contain alcohol. Fermented vegetables or fruit. They are very sweet and they make you feel all dizzy really quickly.” He laughed. “So this should be fine.”

“There’s *fruit* down there?” Robert asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well... not fruit like that.” He pointed at the peaches. “It’s different, but we do have plants that we grow down there that yield fruit. We don’t just eat fish.” He explained and Robert nodded, that made a lot of sense. The rest of the meal was spent in comfortable silence, eating, listening to the music, smiling at each other. Robert was glad that it wasn’t awkward at all, he was just enjoying sharing this with his mate. 

Once they finished their soup, Robert decided to move things to the sofa, just to be a little more comfortable than they would be on the wooden chairs. Jimmy hopped off of his chair and quickly made it over to the sofa, too, sitting right next to Robert. The blonde smiled and pulled his tail up and across his legs, so he’d be more comfortable than with it dangling to the floor. Jimmy gave him an adorable, toothy smile in return that made Robert’s belly fill with butterflies once more.

He’d brought the little plate with the peaches over as well and started cutting them up. When he heard some strange, sniffing sounds coming from Jimmy’s direction, he looked up at him and almost jumped. 

Jimmy was indeed sniffing the air, raising his head a little, but his eyes were fixed on the peach in Robert’s hand. What had initially scared Robert, though, was, first of all, how dark Jimmy’s face markings were all of a sudden and how absolutely blown his pupils were. At the same time, a strong wave of emotions hit him through their bond, something between excitement, arousal, want and need.

“A-are you alright?” He asked carefully, but Jimmy didn’t even react, he just licked his lips, reached for the half-cut peach in Robert’s hand and started eating it. Or rather, *devouring* it. He was getting juice everywhere, making an absolute mess of his face and his hands, all the while making happy little sounds that reminded Robert a lot of the ones he’d made back in cave earlier that day, although during an entirely different situation. 

When he was done with that half of the peach, Robert quickly gave him the other half, mostly to avoid being scratched by Jimmy’s long, sharp nails as he quickly reached over to grab it. He devoured that half as well, the blonde could only stare at him in disbelief, unsure of what exactly was going on with his mate right now. 

“Jimmy?” He asked carefully when the merman was done, although he was still licking juice off of his hands. When he finally looked at Robert and blinked at him in utter confusion, Robert couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess you really... *really* like peaches?” 

“I... I couldn’t hold back.” Jimmy stammered and his markings darkened even further, but this time, Robert could tell it was caused by embarrassment. “The scent just made me feel so strange.” 

“Good strange or bad strange?” Robert asked, although he had a suspicion, going by Jimmy’s reaction and what he’d felt through the bond. 

“Good.” Jimmy mumbled, looking down. “Really good.” He added and the frills along his tail fluttered. Robert chuckled.

“Well, remind me to never bring peaches to a family dinner...” He said, amused, and Jimmy squeaked and hid his face.

“Stop it!” He mumbled. “I don’t even know if this is a ‘me’-thing or a merpeople-thing.” He admitted. 

“I doubt you’d react that strongly if it was just about you really liking peaches. Maybe they’re like an aphrodisiac to merpeople.” Robert mused and picked up the second peach. Jimmy lowered his hands from his face and watched his mate just holding the fruit. “I wonder what happens if I cut this...” Robert grinned and picked up the knife again. 

At the first cut, when the scent of the fruit hit his nostrils, Jimmy’s pupils dilated again and he grabbed the pillow that was resting next to him on the sofa in order to hold back from just grabbing the peach yet again. Robert smirked and cut just a little slice, then slowly are it, watching Jimmy’s reaction. 

Before he knew what was happening, he was on his back, Jimmy was on top of him, pinning him down by wrists, staring at him with big eyes before he moved in to kiss him heatedly. 

// Yep. Definitely an aphrodisiac. // Robert teased Jimmy through their bond as he did his best to keep up with his very eager mate and kiss him back.

// Shut up. // The merman snapped back at him aggressively and deepened the kiss, tightening the hold on his wrists. He’d ended up between Robert’s legs again, so the human just wrapped his legs around his tail and pulled him in closer, making both of them moan. He could feel that Jimmy’s cock was out already, it was poking him quite insistently, like Jimmy couldn’t really stop himself.

There was such a raw, primal energy about Jimmy, the way he was holding him down and kissing him like it was the end of the world, that turned Robert on to no end, he didn’t want this to stop, ever. To his surprise, it was Jimmy who pulled back first, though, with difficulty, and looked down at him worriedly.

“Is this ok? Can you... can you... you know?” He mumbled and when Robert just frowned at him in confusion, he sighed. “You said you need some time to be able to do this again. How long?” Robert finally realized what he was talking about and laughed.

“It’s fine, yeah. It’s been a few hours, I’m good to go.” He chuckled. Jimmy actually breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately started kissing him again. 

// You taste so good now... even better than before. // Jimmy told him through the bond.

// There’s more peach, you know. But you gotta let go of me for a second. // Robert sent right back, grinning against the merman’s lips. Jimmy pulled back and blinked at him in confusion, then let go of his wrists, flustered.

“I didn’t realize I was doing that.” He said. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright... I actually liked it.” Robert grinned at him. He’d somehow managed to hold on to the peach all through Jimmy’s assault, although the knife had fallen onto the plate that was sitting on the sofa next to them. He picked it back up and quickly cut up the rest of the peach. He didn’t even have to offer any to Jimmy, the merman couldn’t hold back and helped himself. Robert still got a few pieces as well, though, which made Jimmy desperately want to kiss him again, so the human put the plate back on the table and pulled his mate into his arms.

This time, however, he straddled the merman and sat up to pull off his shirt, much to Jimmy’s delight, who immediately began touching and caressing him all over with his now rather sticky hands. He leaned in and started slowly grinding against the other.

// Can you feel that I’m ready for this again, now? // He asked through the bond as he kissed the merman again, letting him feel that he was rock hard.

// Yes! Yes... take off the pants. // Jimmy answered eagerly. // Oh how I love feeling that.//

// Patience. I want to try something. // Robert said and pulled back again. He smirked down at his mate and trailed a hand down his chest and belly, then lower.

“Just... lie back and enjoy.” Robert said and started kissing Jimmy’s neck, then his shoulders, and his chest, lower and lower. If he was completely honest with himself, he was a little nervous, he’d never done this with another man before, but he supposed, with Jimmy, it didn’t count. He wasn’t even human. He wanted to do it. 

“What... what are you doing?” Jimmy asked nervously as Robert kissed his way down his body. The blonde raised his head to smile at him encouragingly.

“It’s alright. I just wanna make you feel good...” He cooed and soothingly caressed his side, just underneath where his gills stopped. He kissed just along where his scales started, then licked along the patch he’d just peppered with kisses before licking lower, to that spot between the two small, fin-like things. Jimmy gasped.

“You want... with your mouth???” He asked in disbelief, his eyes the size of saucers. Robert paused and looked up at him.

“Well, yes... don’t you want me to? Don’t you like it?” He asked, confused. 

“I... I... don’t know.” Jimmy stammered. “We don’t... do that.” He then said and Robert could only stare at him. 

“What...?” He asked lamely. “Wait. What??? Merpeople don’t do oral?? Like, at all??” He asked in utter bewilderment. Jimmy shook his head, then drew up his lips a little to show him his teeth and shrugged helplessly. Well, that made sense, Robert thought. 

A small sense of dread filled him when he realized that now, being bonded with Jimmy, he would never, ever get his dick sucked ever again, but he pushed it away. He wanted this to be good for his mate, this wasn’t about him. He actually liked that he could offer Jimmy something that he would otherwise never experience, ever. This could be fun.

“So... wanna try? Maybe you’ll like it.” He said and smiled at the merman. He was still clearly hyped up by whatever the peach was doing to him and he didn’t want to ruin it. Jimmy seemed to consider it for a moment, Robert could tell he was nervous about it, for whatever reason, Robert didn’t know but he also sensed some excitement there. Jimmy nodded tentatively.

“Yes.” He whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm, is Jimmy going to like it? :)
> 
> Next up: Sexytimes & more shenanigans in the human world.


	21. Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Jimmy spend more time together at Robert's place. Turns out they have to stay there a tad bit longer than expected due to unforseen circumstances.

“Now, keep in mind I’ve never done this with another man, so if I’m no good at it, have some patience, don’t be too hard on me, I’ll get better, promise.” Robert chuckled and Jimmy gave him a lopsided little grin.

“In that case... this should be a little closer to, uhm, human female anatomy, right?” He asked. Robert was a little confused at first, but when he looked down, he saw that Jimmy had sheathed his cock again, leaving only the now slightly slick, glistening slit. 

“Oh. Oh... yeah? I suppose.” Robert mumbled, slightly amused. “Would that even feel good to you, though?” He then asked, and Jimmy smiled at him.

“It’s a pretty sensitive area, yes. I really liked your fingers there, yesterday.” He whispered, looking at Robert through heavy lidded eyes. The blonde could tell he was getting impatient, Robert was talking too much, again, he wanted, he needed it now, even more so due to the state the peach had put him in. It was all the encouragement Robert needed, so he just smirked and gently trailed his fingers along the soft, green flesh there.

“You did, didn’t you?” He asked teasingly, watching Jimmy suck on his lower lip as he nodded in agreement. Robert pressed a gentle kiss to the scales close to the slit, knowing full well that Jimmy probably wouldn’t feel very much of that, but that was the point, he wanted to tease him, make him wait for it. 

Hoping to get a glimpse into what exactly Jimmy was feeling, Robert focused on their bond as he kissed his way closer and closer to his destination while letting his fingers lightly glide across the slick skin, caressing and teasing. His excitement was most definitely climbing, but so was his nervousness, and Robert wondered why. 

When his lips met skin rather than scales for the first time, he let them linger there, looking up at Jimmy’s face, into his eyes, as he slowly slid his finger along the slit, up, pausing before dragging it back down and then back up, slowly pushing in, just a little bit. Jimmy’s breath hitched and he sighed, encouraging Robert to keep going. Sliding his finger a little further into the slick warmth, he kept peppering little kisses along the slit. 

He was desperately curious to finally taste his mate, but he held back, not wanting to give him that just yet, he wanted to build the anticipation even more. Would he taste salty, like the ocean he lived in? He didn’t have a scent to him at all, so Robert had no idea what he might be in for. Either way, he was sure he was going to love it.

He smirked to himself when he noticed that he could feel the tip of Jimmy’s cock inside him and teased it with the very tip of his finger. It twitched inside the merman’s body and he gasped audibly, making Robert chuckle. He rubbed his finger against the underside of it, then along the walls of the sheath.

“Hmm, I can feel you getting wetter and wetter.” Robert murmured. He also felt that Jimmy was nearly buzzing with excitement and arousal, it felt like it was just bleeding through their bond, straight into Robert’s body, making him tingle pleasantly, all over. 

“This is so... exciting. You’re so... sexy. The way you look at me...” Jimmy stammered nervously. “It’s driving me insane.” Robert smirked at him, hearing that felt wonderful, it made him feel a lot more confident. That, and how nervous Jimmy looked. He was adorable, looking at him with wide eyes, all flushed, he didn’t quite know what to do with his hands, so he toyed with a tassel of one of Robert’s pillows, the other hand played with a strand of his own hair, that now, that it was almost dry, had curled adorably.

Robert chose not to answer, he just gave him another one of those (what he hoped to be) mysterious smiles and began moving his finger again. He didn’t dare to add another, he didn’t want to risk hurting his mate, so he stuck with the one, but started kissing him again, until he finally dared to add his tongue to the mix as well, tentatively licking just along the wet slit of Jimmy’s sheath. 

He wasn’t at all surprised to find that he did taste a little salty after all, but more than that, much more than that, he tasted sweet and lovely. Robert almost thought of it as ‘fruity’, but he felt too ridiculous even thinking that. He knew, though, that he would get absolutely and hopelessly addicted to this, he was sure of it, Jimmy tasted wonderful and he already wanted more. 

He almost moaned softly as he felt his cock throb in his pants, arousal surging through him like lightning as he licked Jimmy again. The merman must have felt his reaction, his eyes widened, then he smiled and relaxed a little, finally. So he’d been worried that Robert wouldn’t like it, that he’d be disgusted, and now that he could tell how much he liked it, he was relieved. 

He removed his finger, putting his hand on Jimmy’s hip, wanting to taste more of him, to dive deeper. Keeping up the intense eye contact he hasn’t broken since he’d started this, he teasingly licked along the slit again before stiffening his tongue and wiggling it against it until he felt the tip of Jimmy’s cock again. The brunette gasped again and moaned, gripping the pillow he’d been playing with tightly. The one that had been fiddling with his hair moved to cover his mouth quickly. He was trying to hold back and Robert wanted to make him lose it. 

// Stop worrying. Nobody can hear you. Just let go. // He told him through the bond as he nuzzled his mate’s body, slowly moving his tongue. Jimmy just seemed to keep getting wetter and it was getting all over Robert’s mouth, his chin, everywhere, and he loved it, he wanted more. He licked the slit again, first one side, then the other, before nuzzling into it again and teasing the little tip of Jimmy’s cock with his tongue. It was getting increasingly difficult to hold back for Robert, too, as everything his mate felt was relayed to him through the bond.

Jimmy relaxed a little more, then, lying back on the sofa, resting his head against the armrest behind him and reaching down to tangle a hand in Robert’s hair. The blonde felt him push against his tongue lightly so he pulled back a little and grinned up at the merman who returned the expression, albeit a little more shyly. He did, however, unsheath his cock and Robert nuzzled it and began placed gentle, teasing little kisses along the shaft, making Jimmy shudder and sigh.

When he finally took it into his mouth, Jimmy closed his eyes and let his head drop back. He was gorgeous, Robert thought, with his lips slightly parted, breathing deeply. He bobbed his head slightly, taking it in deeper, as deep as the wide base of it allowed him, then he went back up and sucked at the tip. The merman arched his back and let out a little wail, the hand in Robert’s hair tightened. 

The feedback he got through their bond intensified, making Robert’s head spin and his body tingle even more, his cock throbbing and leaking in his pants again. Overwhelmed, he pulled back, letting it slip from his mouth, and rested his forehead against the cool scales of Jimmy’s tail, breathing heavily. 

“Wha-... Robert? What’s wrong? What did I do?” Jimmy asked worriedly as he sat up and looked down at him. The blonde couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Nothing... it’s just...” He took a deep breath and raised his head. “I can feel what you feel. Through the bond, you know?” He explained. “It’s... a little overwhelming. It’s almost like... like *I’m* on the receiving end of this. Almost, not quite.” 

“Oh.” Jimmy said, then grinned widely. “That’s not a bad thing, is it?” He asked, making Robert laugh again.

“No. Not at all.” He answered. “I just need to get used to it a little.” Jimmy just nodded and lay back again. Robert started again, although he took it much more slowly this time, spending his sweet time just nuzzling, licking and kissing it before taking it into his mouth again. By the time he got there, he had Jimmy writhing and moaning again, twisting and arching on the sofa, tugging on his hair. 

Through the bond, Jimmy had started babbling, encouraging him, telling him how good it felt, and now, it was nothing but a waterfall of curses. Mer-tongue, for sure, and Robert couldn’t possibly translate them into anything in english, but he knew for a fact that they were curses, he just understood. 

He soon had Jimmy crying out and pulling at his hair quite harshly and before he had a chance to pull back, he found his mouth filled with a thick, slightly salty goo. He pulled back and did his best to swallow, but it wasn’t that easy and took him a moment. He must have pulled quite the face because when he looked up at his mate, he looked slightly mortified and a little guilty.

“I am sorry, I should have warned you, but it just... happened, I couldn’t help it.” He pouted and caressed Robert’s cheek gently. “Was it bad, did it taste that horrible?” He asked and Robert chuckled. 

“Oh sweetheart, no.” He said, amused. “You taste lovely, actually. It’s just... the consistency, it’s so thick it’s hard to swallow.” He admitted.

“I taste lovely?” Jimmy asked, a grin spreading all over his flushed face. 

“Hmmmhm, you do, all sweet and nice.” Robert purred, pushing himself up and crawling up to cover Jimmy’s body with his own. He was so very horny right now, he needed *something*, anything, and this time he was glad to know that Jimmy most definitely wasn’t done yet. “Would you like a taste?” He whispered, slowly leaning in to kiss his mate, giving him a chance to back away in case he didn’t want to. His lips and chin were still glistening with Jimmy’s juices. 

The merman’s eyes widened as he looked at him curiously, his gaze flickered down to his lips, then back up before he leaned in and kissed him. He moaned into the kiss and Robert felt him grin.

// You’re right... it’s not bad... // He said as they continued to kiss and soon his hands were all over Robert’s body again, only to start impatiently tugging at the waistband of his pants. // Off! // He said, the frustration evident through the bond when he couldn’t get them off fast enough. Robert laughed and pulled back, sitting up to help him. He quickly took them off and tossed them aside carelessly.

Jimmy immediately pulled him closer again, then paused when Robert’s cock rubbed up against his own. He reached down to stroke them both, giving the human a cheeky, flirty look as he did so. Robert groaned and nuzzled his neck, starting to kiss it, then suck little marks on it. 

“You made me feel so good. I’ve never felt anything like that before, it was so intense...” Jimmy whispered heatedly. “I want to return the favor.” He added and Robert chuckled.

“Well, that’s out of the question, but I appreciate the sentiment.” He huffed. He gently kissed the shell of Jimmy’s small, round ear, then went back to his neck. 

“No, I want to try. I can do this, I want to, please, I won’t hurt you, I promise.” The merman babbled and Robert paused, then pulled back to look at him. He glanced down at Jimmy’s plump, red lips and sighed.

“I... I don’t know.” He whispered. He didn’t want to ruin the mood, but he was scared. 

“Don’t you trust me?” Jimmy asked. “I’m not just teeth, I have lips, I have a tongue, too. I’m sure I can make you feel good.” Robert sighed and kissed those lovely lips again before answering.

“You’re right. I do trust you.” He said, realizing that he was being unreasonable. Jimmy was his mate, he didn’t want to hurt him. Slowly, the brunette pushed him on his back and Robert allowed it, leaning back and closing his eyes as Jimmy began kissing and caressing him all over. It felt like heaven, so he soon relaxed completely, melting into the sofa. He opened his eyes again to watch Jimmy kiss his hip bone and play with the hair on his belly with a cheeky little smile. He smiled back at him and reached down to move some his thick, wavy black hair out of his face.

“I love your body. You’re so gorgeous.” Jimmy whispered and pressed a kiss to the inside of Robert’s thigh. Robert grinned at him.

“Look who’s talking. You’re beautiful.” He said. “Did you know that my favorite color used to be blue? Now it’s most definitely green.” He added. Jimmy blinked at him in surprise before his expression softened.

“Oh Robert. That’s the sweetest thing anybody has ever said to me.” He sighed. “You really don’t need flattery, I’m already between your legs.” He grinned cheekily and Robert laughed. He forgot any comeback he had to that when Jimmy’s tongue darted out from between his lips and licked along the head of his cock teasingly. 

“Ah, fuck.” He gasped. Jimmy must have felt encouraged by that, he let his tongue dance against it more and wrapped his hand around the base, stroking up and down. He pressed those soft lips to the head of Roberts cock and sucked gently, all the while careful not to hurt him with those vicious, sharp little teeth. He stroked and licked and sucked as if it wasn’t the very first time he’d done that and Robert was in heaven. He was so talented with that long tongue that he had Robert on the edge in no time. 

“Baby, I’m gonna... I’m gonna come.” Robert warned him, but he didn’t stop. “Fuck, I’m gonna come on your face if you don’t... stop.” He gasped. 

// I want you to. I want to taste you, too. // Jimmy told him telepathically and gave him a heated look, stroking him a little more firmly to prove his point, flicking his tongue across the head of his cock. That was more than Robert could take, helplessly watching his come spurting across Jimmy’s soft red lips just for him to quickly lick it off. He groaned at the sight and Jimmy giggled impishly, continuing to lick him clean. He then rested his cheek on Robert’s thigh and looked at him all innocently. The blonde shook his head.

“You’re something else.” He whispered breathlessly. 

“I got what I wanted, didn’t I?” Jimmy replied and licked his lips again. 

“Hmmhm...” Robert sighed lazily. “Come up here, I wanna hold you.” He added, gesturing for Jimmy to come into his arms. The merman didn’t need to be told twice and snuggled up to him, resting his head on the man’s chest. Robert kissed the top of his head. “I love you.” Jimmy just held him tighter and he could feel him smiling against his chest.

// I love you, too. // He sent telepathically, unwilling to speak up. Robert didn’t mind, he felt like that kind of communication was even more intimate, if anything. They lay there, for a while, just enjoying each other’s warmth, until Robert felt the need for a cigarette. He didn’t particularly like the thought of smoking around the merman, but maybe just one would be alright? He leaned over a little to reach into the drawer of the little dresser next to the sofa, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and some matches. Jimmy watched him curiously, unaware of what he was doing. 

“Oh, hello!” Robert said, delighted, when he opened the pack of cigarettes and instead of regular ones, he found two joints tucked in with them. He’d totally forgotten about those, so he was all the more happy to find them there. 

“What are you doing? What’s this?” Jimmy asked curiously, sniffing the box and crinkling his nose at the smell. 

“These are cigarettes, you know, for smoking. But these!” He pulled out the joints. “This is weed. We talked about this before, remember? When he talked about drugs?” He added when he saw Jimmy’s confused look. 

“Oh! Yes, I do remember...” Jimmy said. He watched Robert put one of them between his lips, jumped when he lit a match and crinkled his nose again when he started smoking. “I want some.” He then said, although he didn’t quite sound sure. 

“I don’t know... smoking isn’t good for you.” Robert said.

“Then why are you doing it?” Jimmy pouted. The blonde shrugged.

“It’s fine, it’s not a big deal... but you’re different, your lungs are different. You already have a harder time breathing than I do, we don’t have to make it worse, do we?” He said. Jimmy pouted even more, so he sighed. “Alright, fine. Try it. But don’t blame me if you don’t like it.” He took another drag from the joint before passing it to Jimmy. 

Awkwardly, the merman took it, worriedly staring at the smoking tip for a moment before going for it. He inhaled and almost immediately started coughing, then handed the joint back, still coughing his poor little lungs out.

“This is awful! Why would you do this to yourself??” He asked, shocked. 

“Feels good.” Robert shrugged.

“I want to feel good, too.” Jimmy pouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Robert chuckled at how adorable he was like that.

“Hm, I wish I had some edibles... you can make food with this stuff, too, you know.” He said with a sigh.

“Why don’t you make some?” Jimmy asked, making him laugh again.

“It’s not that easy! You need special ingredients, you can’t use the same stuff you use to smoke it, you know? It doesn’t work like that, you need extracts. I’m sorry.” He explained. “I can get some another time and make you some, alright?” 

Jimmy watched him for a while, then held out his hand again.

“Let me try again.” He said, determined. Robert didn’t feel like arguing, so he let him have the joint again, watching as he inhaled, struggled not to cough until his eyes teared up, just to get another coughing fit. When Robert made to take back the joint, he shook his head, so Robert shrugged and lit the second one for himself, letting Jimmy have the rest of the first one. It was quite amusing, how determined Jimmy was to make this work, even though he was clearly struggling and didn’t like it at all. Well, he didn’t like it *yet*, Robert thought, he’d like it as soon as it started working, he was pretty sure. 

Jimmy ended up smoking the entire leftover joint, in between coughing fits, giving Robert a defiant ‘told you so’ look, that made him chuckle. Jimmy was incredibly stubborn and had to get his way. Once they were both done, he snuggled back up to Robert, rubbing his cheek against the other’s chest happily. Listening to the music, holding his mate, just relaxing, Robert was very happy (he was pretty sure that wasn’t just the weed). After a few minutes, Jimmy giggled.

“You were right. This does feel... fucking great.” He said, making Robert raise an eyebrow.

“Woah, watch that potty mouth of yours.” He said in amusement, he’d never heard Jimmy talk like that, at least not in a human language, and it was adorable. The merman just giggled even more and hid his face in Robert’s chest. Before he had any time to make another joke, Jimmy had raised his head again, though, and suddenly he was kissing him again, gently, slowly and lazily, though. This time, there was so heat, no urgency behind those kisses, he just wanted to make out with his mate and Robert let him, kissing him back. He tasted like smoke, a little sweet, a bit salty, still vaguely like peach, and he loved it. 

Robert didn’t know how long they sat there, cuddling, making out, listening to the record, although at some point it must have stopped, neither of them noticed. They must have dozed off after a while, because when Robert opened his eyes again, a few warm rays of sunlight were falling through the open window. He cursed.

“Fuck. We fell asleep.” He said when Jimmy groaned and looked up at him in confusion.

“What? Oh. Oh no.” He said, looking up at the window as well, squinting. “How do we get back now? You can’t carry me to the car in broad daylight!” He said, panicking, suddenly wide awake. 

“Well... I guess... we could wait until the evening.” Robert said. A quick glance at the clock told him it was almost 7, he should have called his employers an hour ago, he usually started work early, helping with serving breakfast at the hotel. He cursed again, disentangled himself from the merman and went over to the phone, quickly dialing the number. 

“Hello? Yes, this is Robert.” He said when the owner of the hotel picked up. He coughed and made his voice sound way rougher than it usually would (only just having woken up helped). “I’m sorry, I really can’t make it today, I fear I caught a cold. In august, can you believe that?” He said, hoping they’d buy it. 

Luckily, he wasn’t the only one with a “cold”, as the owner told him he must have caught if from some guests that also had a cold. The owner had heard them coughing and earlier, they’d asked for directions to the nearest pharmacy. Sighing in relief, Robert told him he’d be back to work as soon as possible, but that he’d stay home for a few days, just so he wouldn’t give his cold to the entire hotel, both guests and staff. The old man agreed and wished him well before hanging up. 

“Whew. That went better than expected.” Robert sighed and went back to sit with Jimmy, who still looked worried. He looked downright uncomfortable. “What’s wrong, baby? Talk to me.” Jimmy blinked at him, then, to Robert’s utter shock, a tear rolled down his cheek and he sobbed.

“I’m scared!” He said in a small voice. Quickly, Robert gathered him in his arms and held him close, caressing his back soothingly. 

“Shh, it’s alright... it’s gonna be fine, I promise.” He cooed. 

“I can’t stay here for that long, I’m going to dry out completely! And what... what if I... what if I need to... you know?” Jimmy stammered, holding on to his mate. 

“We’ll figure it out.” Robert said gently. “I have a bathtub, we’ll get you hydrated, don’t you worry... and about that other thing... well. You’ll have to use a human toilet.” Now that Jimmy had mentioned it, Robert noticed how badly he needed to pee, those two cans of beer he had several hours ago really wanted out, now, so he got back up. “Let me just pee and draw you a bath, I’ll be right back.” He said. 

He went to his little bathroom and began filling the tub with lukewarm water before taking care of business. He washed his hands and went back to the other room to get Jimmy. The merman only looked more worried, he was also holding his belly and when Robert got close, he very clearly heard it making some very concerning sounds. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s happening.” Jimmy mumbled, staring down at the floor in embarrassment.

“I... uhm... I don’t know either... come, let me show you the bathroom.” Robert stammered, unsure what to do. He had half a mind to grab Jimmy and carry him to the bathroom, just in case, but he didn’t. Luckily, with how small the apartment was, it was just a few steps for him and Jimmy could crawl in quickly, as well. The bath was ready, so he turned off the water, then gestured towards the toilet. 

“I... how?” Jimmy asked helplessly, still looking down, ashamed. Robert cleared his throat, he never expected to have to explain this to anyone. Hell, he didn’t even know how Jimmy’s body worked and if or how he could use a human toilet.

“Well...” He went over and lifted the lid. “There you go, you just... uhm, you know, into the toilet and then you flush it, up here. There’s toilet paper over here...” He said awkwardly. Jimmy cringed when more gurgling sounds came from his belly. Robert quickly left the bathroom and closed the door because as curious as he was, he didn’t need to witness that. 

Not that that helped much, because of course, he could still hear it. He quickly switched on the TV, quite loudly at that, to save Jimmy some of the embarrassment. He used the time he had to get dressed in some fresh clothes, then actually sat down and watched TV, waiting for his mate to be done with his bath.

When Jimmy emerged from the bathroom about half an hour later, hair wet, skin hydrated and all, he looked terribly embarrassed nevertheless. At least he hadn’t had too much trouble getting into the tub, Robert thought.

“I am *so* so sorry.” He whispered, but Robert shook his head.

“Baby, it’s alright. It happens.” He said soothingly. “It’s my fault, really.” 

“Your fault? How?” Jimmy asked.

“I should have thought about it before giving you soup. I mean... soup, beer and fruit sounds like a recipe for diarrhea, especially for a creature that usually only eats solids.” He shrugged. “I was confused when you told me that you don’t pee, but now I understand. I should have known. I’m sorry. You don’t have to be ashamed. This is just a part of sharing your life with someone, it’s gonna happen sooner or later.” 

“I suppose I should have known, too.” Jimmy sighed. 

“Do you feel better now?” Robert asked. The merman nodded.

“Yes. I’m alright. Your water is weird, though. It feels different.” He said. 

“I know, it’s not salt water.” Robert said. “Is it going to be alright for today, though?”

“It should be. I think so.” Jimmy said. “I’ll have to have another... bath, sometime later, though.”

“Of course. We could take one together, you know, a nice warm one, like I promised you?” Robert said with a little smile. Jimmy looked up at him insecurely, like he wasn’t sure that Robert *wanted* to do something like that with him anymore, but then he smiled shyly and nodded.

“I’d like that.” He said. This time, it was Robert’s belly that made a sound and he cringed.

“I am *starving*. I’m all out of food, too. I’ll have to run to the store.” He sighed.

“I am pretty sure our bond is strong enough by now for you to do that.” Jimmy said. 

“Yeah... there’s a little store just across the street here, I won’t be long. You can watch TV, or listen to music or read a book, whatever you like.” He said. “I’ll find something for you to eat, too, something that’ll be much easier to digest.”

“Thank you.” Jimmy mumbled and gave him a grateful little smile as Robert went to grab his wallet and his keys. He also took a thin little scarf and put it on.

“I can pretend I’m going to the pharmacy if my employers see me.” He grinned at the merman, then waved goodbye and left to go to the store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Jimmy, oh no. :) How embarrassing.  
Now, I wonder what Robert will bring for him from the store.


	22. Home shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert leaves Jimmy alone at his place for a while and comes back to shenanigans.

As soon as he crossed the little court behind the hotel and stepped on the sidewalk in front of it, it occurred to Robert that he hadn’t brushed his teeth. Or his hair. Then it hit him that he didn’t even wash his face after last night's ‘activities’, he hadn’t shaved in a few days, he had stubble and looked like hell. He just hoped he didn’t smell too awful (Jimmy didn’t seem to mind), and he really didn’t want to go back to wash up, he just wanted to quickly grab them some breakfast, he could get clean afterwards.

// Did you just see something you liked? // Jimmy asked through their bond. Robert almost jumped a little, he hadn’t expected the telepathic communication to still work, but apparently it did, just fine.

// Huh? // He asked lamely, wondering what Jimmy meant.

// I felt you getting all excited about something. // The merman clarified.

// Oh. Oh! // Robert chuckled. // I was just thinking about last night. And the fact that I’ve neglected to wash my face after getting your delicious juices all over it. // He added with a satisfied little smirk. He felt a strong wave of embarrassment and a bit of shame through the bond and felt a little bad about making Jimmy feel that way. // Sorry. //

// It’s ok. You sounded like you... liked that thought? // Jimmy asked, a hint of curiosity tinting the question.

// I do. A lot. // Robert said. // I love that I did all those lovely, naughty things with my merman and only I have that little reminder, nobody’s ever gonna know... // He grinned. A guy walking past him gave him an odd look and a smile in return. Of course nobody knew he was talking to someone, either.

// That sounds.... I mean... I like that thought, too. // Jimmy admitted shyly. 

// Now, let’s see if I can find something yummy for us to eat... // Robert mused as he opened the door to the little supermarket. It wasn’t much, they didn’t have all that many things, but it’d have to do. // I wonder if they have peaches... // He added teasingly.

// Robert, no. // Jimmy warned him. // You’re not going to be using that against me. // 

// Don’t tell me you didn’t like it! // Robert answered, slightly offended.

// I did, I did! But I’m still embarrassed by how I acted. // Jimmy said. Robert could tell he was pouting even though he couldn’t see him. 

// But it’s alright! You couldn’t help it! // Robert reassured him. He took a little basket and started browsing the few aisles they had. // Don’t worry, I’m not going to buy peaches, though. You deserve a little break. // Jimmy didn’t answer that time, not verbally (or telepathically?) at least, but he did send Robert a wave of warmth and love through the bond that the blonde could only interpret as him agreeing. 

He started putting random stuff that caught his eye into the basket. He wasn’t short on money these days, with his salary and the tips he got for singing at the bar in the evenings, he was doing pretty well, so he didn’t have to be that picky. He got some fruit, anything but peaches really, he got lettuce and tomatoes to make a little salad to go with lunch, he got some vegetables for said lunch, then paused, wondering what to make next to those. 

The store sold fresh meat and fresh fish as well, so he supposed he could splurge on some fish for Jimmy, hoping he would like that, never having had fried fish, the ‘human’ way. Soon, his basket filled with all sorts of snacks and sweets as well, he invested in a few things to take along back to the cave as well, things that would last a few days down there. 

Once he was done, he realized he really craved some fresh baked goods for breakfast and there was a bakery not too far from where he was.

// Hey, I’m gonna be a little longer, I want to pop into the bakery quickly. Alright? // He told Jimmy. To his surprise, it was quite easy to make the connection and talk to him even at this distance.

// Alright. // Jimmy answered. He sounded a little uncomfortable.

// Are you ok, baby? // He asked worriedly.

// It’s a little scary to be here without you. // Jimmy sighed. // This is my first time being so far away from the ocean, in a human home... I’m a little scared. But I’ll be fine, it’s alright. // 

// Aww, poor darling. I understand. I’ll hurry back, I promise. I’ll bring all sorts of goodies, too! Until then, watch some TV, listen to some radio or explore the apartment, you can look at everything, I don’t mind. // Robert said soothingly and again he felt that familiar pulse of warmth through the bond. It made him smile and he wondered how exactly Jimmy did that, he wanted to learn to do that as well.

He made it to the bakery quickly and luckily it was early enough for it not to be crowded at all, so he quickly bought some fresh bread and some sweet pastries as well before hurrying back home. To his relief, he didn’t run into the owner of the hotel or anyone else he knew in the little town.

When he opened the door to his little apartment, he didn’t spot Jimmy on the sofa where he’d left him, but it didn’t take him long to find him at all. The giant, bright green tail sticking up from the big chest at the end of his bed was impossible to miss after all. Robert couldn’t help but burst out laughing at what he saw, Jimmy was upside down, face first, in his chest, digging through it with his tail sticking up and wiggling around as he rummaged through Robert’s things. It was adorable.

The blonde cringed when Jimmy’s fin whipped around and almost knocked some of the little flower pots he had on the window sill off. The merman struggled briefly, his tail flailing around some more before he finally made it out of the chest to greet his mate. 

“You’re back!” He quipped, and Robert made to answer, but when he saw Jimmy, he was speechless. He didn’t mind him digging through the chest, he only kept some winter clothes in there that he didn’t need right now, jumpers, jackets and coats, but Jimmy had also found one of his knitted, woolen hats, a brightly colored one with a big, fuzzy pom-pom on top. He’d put it on, all lopsided, and it was the most adorable thing Robert had ever seen, it made him feel all strange and soft inside to see his mate like that, beaming up at him happily.

“Bloody hell, why are you so adorable? You’re killing me!” He said, staring at the merman for another moment before putting the bags with the groceries on the little kitchen table. Jimmy giggled.

“Adorable? I thought it’s pretty sexy!” He laughed, posing with the hat a little more.

“Of course! Very sexy!” Robert agreed, laughing as well. “Let’s make it even hotter, literally, with one of those jumpers?” He suggested, pointing at the chest again. Jimmy turned around and hoisted himself up and over the edge again, rummaging briefly before producing an incredibly ugly christmas sweater. Surprisingly, it matched Jimmy’s coloring quite well, it was mostly green with some red snowflakes and white christmas trees on it. He giggled and put it on.

“I’ve never worn clothes before.” He said once he managed to put it over his head, but he was clearly struggling with the sleeves. They kept getting stuck on the little frilly fin-things Jimmy had along his arms, so Robert went over, sat on the floor as well, and helped him into the sleeves. 

“There you go. All cozy.” He chuckled once they were done. Jimmy blinked at him, then looked down and touched his chest and arms in wonder. 

“I can’t believe I’m wearing clothes. This is amazing!” He gasped, obviously impressed, like he thought he’d never get to experience something like that. 

“I’d give you pants, too, but that’s not happening.” Robert grinned. “I don’t own any skirts.”

“Well, that would look silly, a merman in a skirt.” Jimmy pouted. “With my tail dangling out. No way.” He laughed.

“Less silly than trying to squeeze that tail into a pair of pants.” Robert shrugged. “You look SO adorable. What does it feel like, sweetheart?” Jimmy thought about it for a moment, touching the jumper again, then he pouted.

“Scratchy!” He complained. “And way too warm.” 

“Well, those are meant for winter, you know.” Robert pointed out. “If you wanna wear clothes, let me find out something more suitable for summer.” He said and got up again, walking over to his little wardrobe. He picked a soft, flowy blouse made from a thin, see through fabric. It was white and had a pretty floral print. When he turned back to Jimmy, the merman was already getting rid of the jumper and the hat, eager to put on the blouse Robert handed him. This one slid over his arms a little more easily and it actually looked good on him. 

“What do you think?” Jimmy asked, smoothing it over his chest, looking up at Robert nervously.

“Hmmm, less adorable, way more sexy.” Robert grinned at him and Jimmy giggled. 

“Feels much better, too.” He admitted, then promptly went back to digging through the chest again, apparently curious about all the clothes stashed away there. Robert was happy to just sit with him and watch him, having completely forgotten about breakfast for now, fascinated by Jimmy’s curiosity.

His stomach sank, though, when Jimmy pulled something out of the chest that Robert had forgotten about, he didn’t remember putting that in there. It was a magazine. A porn magazine, to be exact. To his utter horror, when Jimmy tried to open the magazine, the pages were stuck together and he felt his face heat up in shame.

“Now this is interesting. A little disgusting, but interesting.” Jimmy mused, then grinned at him widely as he pried the pages apart. Robert cringed at the sound they made and tried to hide his face.

“I’m so sorry. I forgot I put that there, I didn’t want you to find that...” He mumbled, embarrassed. 

“That’s ok... I was hoping I’d find something interesting and I did!” Jimmy giggled, then began leafing through the magazine. Robert heard him laugh again. “You only really looked at the ones with dark hair. I can tell by the binding of the magazine.” He said, obviously pleased. It was true, he hadn’t really looked at the blondes at all, it was always the brunettes that did it for him.

“Well... I may or may not have... a type?” Robert mumbled. 

“So that’s why you’re into merpeople, we all have dark hair.” Jimmy giggled and poked his tongue out at him. 

“I’m not into merpeople. I’m into *you*.” Robert clarified. “I do love your hair, though, I’m not gonna lie.” His embarrassment faded a little as he watched Jimmy looking at the non-soiled pages of the magazine with barely contained curiosity. “What’s going through your head right now?” He asked, wondering what Jimmy thought about it. He seemed completely lost in thoughts.

“Huh? Oh... I was just thinking... if this is what you like... I look nothing like that, well, except for the hair.” He sighed. “I don’t have... that. Or those.” He added, pointing at a particularly big pair of boobs. Robert sighed when he realized what Jimmy meant.

“Why are you even worried about that, especially after what happened last night? Isn’t it obvious that I’m into you?” He asked. 

“But you like this, too.” Jimmy mumbled, turning the page to find another busty brunette woman. It was obvious that Robert had looked at her quite a bit by how the glue was visible where the page was attached. “I thought these were just for... you know, feeding babies. But the way they’re shown here, it’s not like that, is it?” He asked. Robert sighed again. 

“You’re right, yes. I like boobs. I can’t help that, you know.” He said. “I don’t mind that you don’t have any, though. I don’t even mind that you’re male. Even if you were female you wouldn’t have any, right? I don’t care. Because you’re you, you’re amazing and beautiful and I love you.” He said. At least that made Jimmy smile.

“You really think I’m beautiful?” He asked shyly. Robert didn’t like how insecure finding this magazine made him.

“Of course. Look, you may not have boobs, but you have other things these girls don’t. They don’t have a beautiful, vibrant tail, gorgeous, shimmery scales or those pretty ruffles you have. They don’t have your beautiful, big green eyes, either and I bet their skin is nowhere near as smooth, soft and nice as yours.” He gushed and this time, Jimmy’s smile actually reached his eyes. 

“Thank you.” He whispered. “That does make me feel better. I am actually glad I found this, because... I didn’t really know what human females look like, to be honest. It’s like... all the books we’ve ever found are mostly about males. I saw some drawings, but it’s like... nobody ever wrote about females.” He pouted. 

“Oh. Yeah. It used to be a big taboo thing, it’s really sexist actually... women were just glossed over for so many years, in so many ways, especially when it comes to sex, but I think we’re starting to move on from that now.” Robert said. He didn’t know that much about that, but of course he’d been aware of the feminist movement and the sexual revolution of the 60s. 

“That’s awful.” Jimmy frowned. “Why? I don’t understand. It’s like females were seen as... less important than males.” 

“Hm. Religion, mostly.” Robert shrugged. “I don’t really know much about that, to be honest.” He admitted. He almost felt bad about it, but then again, being a man, he never had to worry about it.

“Sorry.” Jimmy said and looked down. “I’m just curious and I want to understand.”

“I could try and find some literature about that for you at some point.” Robert offered.

“That would be great! Yes, please!” Jimmy beamed. “Can I keep this, too? For the institute?” He then asked, pointing at the magazine. Robert made a face.

“Absolutely not!” He said. “I’ll get you a new one that doesn’t have... uhm... you know, in it.” He said, not wanting Jimmy to take a magazine with sticky pages to the institute. Jimmy giggled.

“True. Although I might want a... sample, of that, to examine at the laboratory, too.” He added with a flirty look. Robert stared at him.

“Are you serious? I’m your mate, not a science project!” He pouted. 

“Of course, but just think about how fun *obtaining* that sample could be.” Jimmy said and batted his eyelashes at him. The blonde groaned and rolled his eyes. 

“You’re awful.” He said, although he couldn’t help but admit that it was funny. He wasn’t quite sure if Jimmy was serious or not, though. Knowing just how enthusiastic he was about his job, he was probably serious, he thought. He wondered how often Jimmy was looking at him with the eyes of a scientist rather than his mate, if he observed him the way humans observed animals to learn about their behaviours. Jimmy just laughed, put the magazine back into the chest and hugged him tightly. Robert chuckled and hugged him right back. 

“What did you bring?” Jimmy then asked, having spotted the bags on the table. 

“Oh! Right! Breakfast!” Robert said. “Uhm... let me just use the bathroom and wash up before I forget again, alright? You can dig around some more, maybe you’ll find more stuff to embarrass me with!” He laughed and got up to go to the bathroom. He closed the door and made to wash his face at the sink, but then he shrugged and started taking off his clothes. A shower was definitely in order, he hadn’t actually had one in a few days, he’d just ‘bathed’ in the lake in their little cave. 

He took some time washing his body, then his hair, washing the salt from the ocean that made it a little dry out of it and using a generous amount of conditioner. Once he was done with his shower, he decided to also shave, he had quite some stubble coming in. 

// Robert? There’s an animal at the window. // Jimmy told him through the bond. He sounded frightened. // I think it wants in. //

// It’s just the neighbor’s cat, Minka. You can let her in if you want, she likes hanging out at my place. Just hop on the bed to reach the window. // Robert told him.

// I’m scared. What if it bites me? // Jimmy asked. 

// She won’t, she’s really nice, don’t you worry. // Robert chuckled. // I’m right here to rescue you just in case. I’ll be done in a few minutes, too. // 

// OK. // Jimmy answered. He still sounded a little worried, but Robert did hear him open the window in the other room. He quickly finished up shaving, wrapped a towel around his hips and when he opened the bathroom door, he found Jimmy sitting on his bed, his tail curled up a little, staring at the small, tabby cat on his lap with wide eyes.

“Robert. I think it’s broken.” He whispered. When the blonde just raised an eyebrow at him, he elaborated. “It’s vibrating.” Robert threw his head back and laughed.

“She’s purring, Jimmy. It means she’s happy.” He explained as he walked over to the bed to sit down next to his mate. “Go ahead, you can pet her.” He added.

“You first.” Jimmy mumbled, nervous. Robert chuckled and gently patted the cats head. She started purring more loudly and pushed her head into his palm happily. “It... she just came and sat on me. Do they usually do that?”

“Yeah, cats are like that. When they see something or someone they like, they’ll sit on it.” Robert chuckled and started scratching the Minka’s chin.

“What a strange animal.” Jimmy whispered, then reached out tentatively and put his hand on the cat’s back. “Oh. So soft. Her fur feels SO nice!” He gasped, carefully stroking her. 

“It does, doesn’t it? The purring is super relaxing, too. I love having her around, even though she’s not mine.” Robert admitted. “I don’t think the neighbors care very much for her, she actually prefers hanging out with me.” 

Jimmy smiled up at him briefly before looking back down at the cat, starting to scratch her behind the ears like he’d seen Robert do, then pet her head, giggling when she pushed her head up into his palm as well. He relaxed a bit, then, when he saw that nothing bad was happening, reclining a bit on Robert’s bed. Minka took that as a cue to stretch out as well, lying along Jimmy’s tail, looking up at him and blinking slowly. 

“Oh, she loves you.” Robert chuckled. Jimmy jumped and made a startled sound when she started kneading on him.

“Oh no, what is she doing? Why are there sharp bits suddenly?” He asked, tensing up. 

“Good thing you have scales. She’s kneading, they do that when they’re really happy. She’s making biscuits, see? It looks like she’s kneading dough.” Robert chuckled. He quickly grabbed the blanket and stuffed it underneath Minka’s paws so she wouldn’t end up hurting Jimmy by mistake. 

“It does...” Jimmy breathed, watching. “Where did the sharp things come from?”

“Oh, her claws? They’re inside her paws usually, she can retract them, see?” Robert explained, picking up one of her paws and pressing down on it gently to show Jimmy the claws. He knew that Minka was a very patient, gentle cat, so she just let him. 

“Woah... that’s awesome!” Jimmy gasped, curiously looking at the claws.

“Yeah, they’re the perfect little killing machines, but they’re also soft and cute.” Robert grinned. “Other than seahorses, do you have any other domesticated animals down there?” He then asked. 

“A few, yes. There’s some fish people keep that keep glass clean, they’re pretty handy. Some people really like sea anemones, you can get them in a lot of different colors and sizes and they’re easy to care for.” Jimmy explained.

“Aren’t those plants?” Robert asked with a little frown. Jimmy leaned into him and snuggled up to his chest.

“No, they are animals! They don’t move a lot, but they are animals.” Jimmy said. 

“I had no idea. Cool!” Robert said, holding Jimmy close. “What about bigger animals? Humans have horses that we ride on, do you have something like that?” He asked, but Jimmy shook his head.

“No. There have been attempts to domesticate some small species of whales but it didn’t work out.” He said. “And nowadays we just don’t need that anymore, we have vehicles to get around.” 

“True. Would have been cool, though, riding a whale.” Robert mused. “I can’t wait to see your horsies.” He then added.

“I can’t wait to show you!” Jimmy quipped. “My parents will bring my computer the next time they visit.”

“Awesome!” Robert said and pressed a gentle kiss to Jimmy’s brow. 

“I love this, by the way. Petting the cat and cuddling with you. In your nest. I like your nest.” Jimmy said with a happy smile on his pretty face. 

“My... nest? Oh. Yes. I like this, too.” Robert said, his lips curling in amusement at Jimmy’s wording. “It’s comfy.” 

“Sorry. I meant bed. Sometimes, I still use the wrong words.” Jimmy sighed. Robert just held him even more tightly.

“It’s alright. I love that, actually, it’s adorable.” He said. 

“Our nests are round because we like to sleep curled up.” Jimmy mused. “You sleep all stretched out.” 

“I noticed you sleep curled up.” Robert chuckled. Every time he woke up with Jimmy, the merman had been curled up like a snake next to him, even if they had gone to sleep all lined up. “I think that’s adorable, too, by the way.” He added and Jimmy giggled. 

The merman continued to pet the cat that was now half in Robert’s lap, half on his tail, but then he spotted the necklace Robert was wearing. It wasn’t much, just some colorful plastic beads, but it did have a little gold pendant. Robert was pretty sure it wasn’t actual gold, he’d found it at a pawn shop. He took it and played it with it, looking at it curiously.

“Gold is valuable to humans, isn’t it?” He asked. Robert raised an eyebrow.

“I guess. Why?” He asked. Jimmy took a deep breath and sighed.

“I was just thinking... You need so much money to buy that house and have it renovated, right? Then you need even more to have that underground pool made. I want that, I really want that to happen, but I feel like I should help, too. We have a lot of gold, we use it for our electronics, but it’s not very valuable. I know some spots on the ocean floor that have an abundance of these little rocks that are just veined with gold. I could find a bunch and bring them, you could sell them.” Jimmy said. Robert thought about that for a moment. 

“How would I explain where I got them from, though?” He mused. “You know a lot about humans, so you also know how greedy a lot of us are. If I show up there with a bunch of gold, they’ll want to know where and how I found it, to get more.” He explained.

“Oh.” Jimmy sighed. “I didn’t think that far.” He admitted. “What if I bring just one, a really big one, and you sell that? You could say you found it somewhere along the shore.” 

“Yeah, and then they’d come to the shore in masses to search for more gold. You underestimate human greed.” Robert huffed. “I don’t want you to be found.” 

“I feel like I need to help, too, though. It’s gonna be my home, too, in a way. I should do *something*.” Jimmy sighed. “I can’t just let you do it all by yourself.” 

“Hmm. I get that you want to help and I appreciate that, but... I don’t know how you could do something without revealing your existence.” Robert said. “Maybe... I mean, a lot of merpeople already know about us. It’s gonna be public knowledge, that you’re with a human, at some point. Maybe we could have the underground pool built by you guys.” He suggested. 

“Oh.” Jimmy whispered. “That... isn’t a bad idea. We have the technology, the machines to do that. You could take care of the house, I could design the underground part.”

“Yeah. You know best what you need down there, anyways, so it would be better if you took care of that.” Robert nodded. 

“I told you how our government feels about humans.” Jimmy said, looking up at him with a worried expression on his face.

“I know. But I also think that Benjamin has a point.” Robert said. “I don’t think it’s smart to reveal your existence to humans, yet, but I think you need to be honest with your own people about me. That way, they can see that not all humans are bad. Maybe that way, we can slowly nudge things in the right direction. You don’t belong at the bottom of the ocean. You should live along the shores, close to us. With us. We should be friends. You shouldn’t have to hide from us!” He said passionately. 

“If only it were that easy.” Jimmy sighed. “But you’re not entirely wrong, I’m going to be found out sooner or later. I’ll think about it. I’ll talk to Benjamin and... my other coworker.” He said.

“That guy needs a human name, by the way. Badly. I can’t keep thinking of him as ‘Jimmy’s coworker’ or ‘friend’.” Robert chuckled.

“Think of one, then, suggest it to him next time you see him.” Jimmy smiled. “I’m sure he’d love that.” 

They both went quiet, then, until Robert’s belly growled again, reminding him of the groceries on the table. The cat and the cuddling had distracted him momentarily from how hungry he’d been. He disentangled himself from his mate and put the perishables into the fridge, then took the rest of the food to the bed to show Jimmy. While the merman curiously rummaged through the bags, he got some plates and cutlery and they started eating.

“I got some fish for lunch. I can fry it and you can see how you like fish prepared the human way.” Robert explained and Jimmy smiled at him. 

“That’s really thoughtful. I noticed you brought stuff that would be easier for me to stomach. Thank you.” He said and sent one of those pulses of warmth through the bond. 

“How do you do that? Sending those... I don’t know, that warmth, through the bond?” Robert asked. “I love it when you do that, I want to learn, too.” 

“I... oh. I don’t know, I just... knew how to do it, I guess?” Jimmy said, looking up at him with big eyes once more. “It just came naturally to me.”

“Well, I’m human. This bond is new to me and apparently, I don’t have a ‘bond-instinct’.” Robert chuckled. 

“Hmmm, how do I explain this?” Jimmy wondered. “When I do that, I just focus on what I’m feeling, then I focus on you. That seems to do it. I felt really grateful and loved just now, so I sent that to you in return.” 

Robert nodded and closed his eyes. He really wanted to learn how to do this as well, so he just focused on what he felt for Jimmy, then on the merman’s presence he now constantly felt in his mind. When he opened his eyes, he found Jimmy smiling at him widely.

“I think you need to filter it a little, but yes, that worked.” The merman said, amused. “I just got everything, love, warmth, gratitude, excitement, lust...” 

“Oh. Well. I tried. I’m still learning.” Robert laughed. “I don’t mind you knowing I feel all that about you, though, but yeah, I should learn to filter that a little.” He agreed. 

They continued having breakfast, Robert got up to make himself a cup of coffee at some point, almost offering some to Jimmy, but then he thought better of it, he didn’t want another... incident. He did let the merman sniff it, though. He pulled a face and moved away from the cup, wondering what on earth was wrong with humans, drinking something that smelled like that. 

After clearing the bed of all their used dishes and wrapping papers and bread crumbs, Robert went back to bed with his mate, suggesting another nap as they hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. Jimmy happily agreed and snuggled up to him. The cat had curled up at the foot of the bed, annoyed by them constantly moving around as they ate and talked, she was still purring softly, though. 

“Oh. I can hear your heartbeat.” Jimmy whispered after a while. He’d snuggled up to Robert’s side and rested his head on his chest. The blonde had crossed his arms behind his head and settled for a nap. 

“Hmmmhm.” He hummed. “Is that bad?” Robert asked, wondering why he sounded so surprised.

“No, it’s just... you can’t hear things like that underwater. I’ve never heard this before. It’s fascinating.” He admitted. “Sound is very different down there. Then there’s this constant noise from all of your ships and oil rigs, then there’s *our* noise from our city, the shield, all our technology, this constantly buzzing... it’s much, much quieter here on the surface.” Jimmy explained. 

“That sounds awful.” Robert admitted. “One more reason to finally get merpeople back to the surface.” Jimmy nodded and kissed the center of his chest briefly before resting his head back down. 

“This feels very intimate. I love this.” He admitted, smiling happily. 

“Me too. This is perfect.” Robert sighed and closed his eyes. He could definitely get used to this, having Jimmy in his arms, cuddling with him. He knew he was going to enjoy this nap, but he was already looking forward to the rest of the day with Jimmy, making lunch with him and having a nice, hot bath with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much fluff :)


	23. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Jimmy spend a lovely time at Robert's place, but then it is time to go back to the cave. Jimmy's family visits again and they have a great time. The day ends with an unexpected turn of events.

They stayed in bed for quite a while, Robert knew Jimmy had fallen asleep when he started to curl up next to him. He smiled at that and turned on his side to hold his mate, a little like he was spooning him. 

When Minka spotted Jimmy’s curled up tail, she made a pleased little sound and climbed on top of it, curling up right in the middle of it, like it was a bed made for cats. Robert couldn’t help but grin at that and pet her head briefly before settling down again. 

Once they’d slept their fill, it was almost time for lunch, but Robert was too lazy to get up just yet, so he switched on the TV. His apartment being so small had the advantage that he could watch TV both from the sofa and from his bed. There wasn’t much on, some cartoons first, then, at noon, some news, but Jimmy was terribly intrigued, so he left it on. 

When Robert got out of bed to start preparing lunch, the cat dug up a long piece of thread from under the bed and brought it to Jimmy. She wanted to play. At first, the merman was clueless, but Robert showed him how to play with her and while he was a little afraid of her claws at first, he soon started to have fun, laughing at the cats antics as she chased the end of the thread across the bed. 

Robert almost forgot about the hot pan on the stove as he watched his mate play with the animal, remembering just in time to put the fish filets in. He used some salt and pepper, some herbs and finished it off with some lemon juice, then served it next to the roasted potatoes he’d made. There was some salad as well and he opened a can of coke for himself.

Minka must have been hungry, because she’d started sitting on front of the window, meowing, wanting out. She knew Robert wouldn’t give her any of his food. Jimmy sat up and opened the window for her, then came over to the table.

“It smells delicious. Is there anything I can do to help?” He asked. Robert chuckled.

“Yes! You can help me eat all this! It’s all done.” He said, pulling the chair out for Jimmy to sit on. 

“Oh! I thought it’d take longer! You should have said something, I would have helped!” He pouted, but climbed onto the chair anyways.

“It’s alright. You were so cute, playing with Minka.” Robert smiled. “Would you like to try a sip of coke? Just a sip?” He offered. Jimmy, of course, couldn’t help it, he needed to try it, he was just too curious to say no. “Careful, it’s fizzy!” He warned, but it was already too late, Jimmy made a face and quickly swallowed, not wanting to make a mess.

“Oh no! It’s like... fireworks in my mouth! Why??” He asked, confused. Robert laughed at how offended he sounded.

“It’s refreshing!” He explained and took the can back.

“I don’t like it.” Jimmy pouted. “Good thing I don’t have to drink.” 

“Well, I hope you like the food... I did my best. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s pretty good, I think.” Robert said. The brunette just gave him a grateful smile before picking up his cutlery and starting to eat. The human could tell by the look of bliss on his face, the little moan he made and the wave of happy feelings that hit him through the bond that Jimmy absolutely loved the food he’d made. Relieved, he began to eat as well, tucking in happily now that he was sure Jimmy was happy with the food. 

“What’s on your mind?” Robert asked after a while, when Jimmy paused, looking down at his plate thoughtfully. The bond wasn’t really telling him much, but he almost looked sad... wistful? The other looked up at him and smiled.

“It’s nothing... well. I just...” He sighed, toying with his fork briefly. “I feel like I’m a bad merman.” Robert blinked at him in confusion.

“Why would you say that? Because you’re with me? Because... you fell in love with a human?” He asked. Jimmy’s eyes widened and he quickly shook his head.

“No! No, it’s not that. It’s just that I... like this. A lot. I love warm food. I love breathing air. I don’t mind being dry. I love the way things sound up here. I love the way things smell in the air. Even my gills are getting used to being dry for longer and longer periods of time.” He explained. “I love how much light there is and how far I can see... albeit not as far as you.” 

“You know... that doesn’t make you a bad merman. That just shows that I’m right and you, and I mean all of you, shouldn’t be living down there, at the bottom of the ocean.” Robert replied after thinking about Jimmy’s words for a moment. “You’re meant to see the sun, sit at the shore and enjoy it on your skin, breathe the air... not to hide away down there.” 

“Maybe you’re right. I just feel like I’m betraying my own kind.” Jimmy sighed and looked down thoughtfully once again. Robert could tell that his thoughts were still spinning around the subject, but he let it go for now. Jimmy needed to make up his own mind. 

Time after dinner was spent sitting at the table and talking about whatever it was the TV tossed their way, Jimmy was still learning a hell of a lot about humans and everything was just so intriguing to him. He insisted on helping Robert with the dishes, so the blonde moved him towards the sink with his chair, gave him a towel and asked him to dry the ones he’d cleaned. 

// Robert? Can you sing for me? // Jimmy asked him after a while and Robert eagerly agreed. It had been a while since he’d practiced and it’d do him good, he thought. Luckily he had another guitar at his apartment, his main one still being at the cave. This one was even older and more beaten up, but it didn’t matter. He picked it up, tuned it a little and started to play for Jimmy, smiling at the merman’s happy face. 

“Will you teach me to play?” Jimmy asked after a few songs and Robert blinked at him. He looked down at Jimmy’s hands, the long nails and the webbing between each finger. He wondered if that would even work.

“Well. I... I’m not all that good, you know, I have no business teaching anyone... but you can try it, of course.” He stammered and handed Jimmy the guitar. He saw immediately, when the merman grasped the fretboard and cradled the guitar on his tail, that he’d like this, that he’d be good at this. The webbing between his long fingers wasn’t an issue at all as he pressed down on the strings with one hand and plucked them with the other. 

The first few notes came out all wrong and weird, but Jimmy just frowned, closed his eyes, focused, and tried again. Soon, he had a little melody, a very, very simple little melody, but it was impressive nevertheless. It had taken Robert far longer to get it to sound right, not like a dying cat, and here Jimmy was, holding it for the first time and just... figuring it out. 

“Ok... wow. I had no idea you have so many hidden talents. You know what? We should take it along to the cave and I’ll teach you some chords. That way, we’d have two and we wouldn’t have to switch every time I want to show you something.” Robert suggested and Jimmy beamed at him. He loved that idea, that much was obvious.

“We can make music together!” He quipped, happy. “I’ll have to bring some of our instruments, I’d love to show you... well, once I can swim back to our city and get some of my things.” 

“That would be amazing! I can’t tell you how curious I am!” Robert gasped.

“You don’t have to, I can feel it.” Jimmy smiled at him and gave him one of his adorable, slightly wonky winks. 

Robert let him try out the guitar for a little longer, before the merman gave it back. Robert played more and more songs for Jimmy, singing to the best of his abilities, until his fingers were tired and he thought he was about to lose his voice. They took a break and cuddled up on Robert’s bed until the blonde decided he should take the opportunity and call his parents while he was home. 

While Robert was on the phone with his mother, Jimmy raided his bookshelf, although it was quite apparent that he was curiously listening in on the conversation as well, his focus seemed to jump from whatever book he was currently holding to what Robert was saying and back to the book. It was adorable and made Robert smile. Once he was done and hung up the phone, he grinned at Jimmy.

“I think it’s time to get you wet again.” He said, wiggling his eyebrows at his mate. Jimmy threw his head back and laughed. 

“I’m starting to understand your... what do you call that... innuendos. I know what you’re doing, human!” He said, grinning right back at the blonde and pointing at him accusingly with the pen he was holding. He must have found it tucked into one of Robert’s notebooks that he used to scribble down lyrics. He kept quite a few of those in his bookshelf as well.

“Oh, finally!” Robert exclaimed. “I was wondering how long I’m going to get away with them...” He chuckled. 

“I’m learning quickly.” Jimmy said. “Now, how do you plan to get me wet, then, hm?” He asked, batting his eyelashes up at Robert from where he was sitting on the floor in front of the bookshelf. 

“I could think of a few ways...” Robert mused, pretending to be thinking about it long and hard. “However, for now, I think a bath would be perfect to get you wet.” 

“I was hoping you’d say that. Will it be warm?” Jimmy asked, getting excited. The bath Robert had drawn him that morning had been cold, like the ocean Jimmy was so used to, but now he was going to show him a lovely, warm bath. It was summer, but it had started to rain and it was rather cool outside, so he didn’t feel too bad about it.

“Oh yeah. Warm and it’s gonna smell nice... oh. Wait.” Robert frowned. “I don’t know if that’s good for your skin.” He wondered. He’d planned to add something to the water to make it smell nice and for some bubbles, but what if it’d dry out the mermans skin or give him a rash?

“We could try? If I don’t like it, I’ll tell you.” Jimmy suggested. That was good enough for Robert, he nodded and went to the bathroom to fill the tub. He didn’t really have anything fancy to put into the water, so he just poured a bit of his coconut scented shampoo in there, it’d do the job just fine, he figured. 

When he went back to get Jimmy, he found him reading some of the lyrics he’d written, an intrigued expression on his face.

“You are very talented.” He whispered when he sensed Robert’s presence in the room, without looking up at him.

“Oh... thank you. It’s nothing, really...” The blonde stammered, flattered.

“I may not know that much about... poetry... or this language and all the... metaphors you’re using...” Jimmy said slowly, still reading. “But I can tell that this is very, very good.”

“Thank you.” Robert repeated. “I just wished I knew how to come up with music to go with this stuff.” He huffed. “It’s so hard.” 

“Don’t you have friends that play instruments, too? You could form, uh, what do you call it, a band?” Jimmy suggested.

“I want to! You have no idea, I’d love to do that! It’s not that easy, though. You have to find the right people, you have to ‘click’, it just has to fit, you know? Time and money are issues, too.” He sighed. 

“I’m sorry.” Jimmy said, closing the notebook and looking up at him. “I wish I could help.” 

“It’s alright, baby. I love writing and I love singing, either way. It’s fine.” Robert reassured him. “Now, come here, let’s get you in that bath.” He chuckled and went over to Jimmy, bending down and picking him up. He was again hit by just how heavy that skinny looking merman was, but he didn’t let it show. Jimmy wrapped his arms around his shoulders and smiled at him brightly. 

“Shouldn’t I take this off?” He asked, looking down at the blouse he was still wearing. Robert didn’t really want him to, he looked so cute wearing it, but then again, he could always put it back on later, so he nodded. Jimmy removed his arms from around his neck to take off the blouse and dropped it on the bed. 

“Let’s see if we both fit in that tub.” Robert chuckled as he walked to the bathroom. Luckily, his tub was one of those old, huge ones that had no problem accommodating a 6” man, easily, but Jimmy was quite a bit longer than 6”, more like 8”, maybe even 9” with that long tail and that large fin. Carefully, he lowered the merman into the warm water and Jimmy made a surprised sound.

“Oh, this feels so good!” He gasped as he lay down in the tub. He seemed to fit just fine, but then Robert looked down his tail and laughed, at least a foot of his tail and his entire fin was sticking out, dangling over the edge. Jimmy didn’t seem to mind, though. “Oh, I love this...” He sighed and closed his eyes, sinking a little deeper into the hot water, making more pleased sounds. Robert couldn’t help but grin, he knew how much merpeople loved the warmth and how little the usually got down there, at the bottom of the ocean, so he enjoyed watching Jimmy soaking in the warmth for a moment before he, too, started chucking off his clothes, tossing them aside.

“Sit up for a moment so I can get behind you... That’ll be the only way we could both fit, with you between my legs.” He said. Jimmy didn’t open his eyes, but he did grin.

“I love it between your legs.” He said cheekily before opening them and looking up at him teasingly. He then sat up to make some room for the human. Robert caught him looking at his body briefly before averting his gaze again. Apparently he hadn’t quite gotten used to Robert’s naked body just yet, it was still... new, to him. He chuckled at Jimmy’s cheeky retort and stepped into the tub, carefully sitting down, one leg on either side of the merman, before pulling him back against his chest.

“There we go... see, this works just fine...” Robert sighed. “Well... I’m sorry your tail doesn’t fit in all the way.” He said. Jimmy laughed and raised the end of his tail to wave his fin at him. 

“That’s alright... maybe, when we have our own house.... you did mention a heated pool.” He reminded Robert. “That should be big enough for all of me, right?”

“It should.” Robert agreed, resting his head against the tub and closing his eyes. He jumped a little when Jimmy started caressing his legs, he hadn’t expected the touch, but it was definitely welcome. He wrapped his arms around Jimmy and caressed his chest gently as Jimmy just slid his hands along his shins, his calves, and finally, his feet. Of course the merman was still curious about those parts of Robert’s body, being so different to his own, so Robert didn’t mind at all. 

“This feels so good. I won’t ever want to go back into the ocean now.” Jimmy pouted.

“I thought you don’t mind the cold?” Robert wondered. 

“We don’t, as in we wouldn’t freeze to death like a human would, in winter. Doesn’t mean we don’t love being warm and comfortable.” He sighed. “This is so relaxing.” He added. Robert had felt him basically melting against him, utterly relaxed, and it was wonderful. 

“I’ll make it come true, don’t you worry. Let’s just give it a few more days, a week or so, just so we don’t risk tearing our bond again. As soon as our lives are back to normal, I’ll start working my ass off to buy that house. I promise.” Robert cooed and kissed Jimmy’s neck. The merman reached up to grasp his hands that he’d rested on his chest and gave them a soft squeeze in reply. 

After a bit, he went back to caressing Robert’s legs again, then his feet, and the blonde couldn’t help but sigh happily when he found a particular spot that felt incredibly good. 

“Oh, do that again, please.” He requested. Jimmy paused, then did it again and Robert sighed. “Yeah, like that... that feels so good. That’s so relaxing.” He purred.

“I had no idea human feet worked that way.” Jimmy said. “I like a good fin massage, too.” He admitted. 

“You do? I can do that, if you show me how.” Robert said, glancing at Jimmy’s tail fin curiously He wanted to touch it, very much so. It was so beautiful and he loved how strong it felt in his hands when he’d touched it before.

“I’d like that. Some other time, though.” Jimmy chuckled and continued massaging Robert’s feet. The blonde sat back and relaxed, enjoying the attention. He absentmindedly caressed Jimmy’s chest, then his arms, letting his fingers glide across the beautiful scales along his forearm. 

They enjoyed their bath, holding each other close, soaking in the warmth until Robert felt the need to get back out. His skin was getting all wrinkly and weird and he didn’t want Jimmy to notice that. He let Jimmy enjoy it for a little longer before coming to pick him up, carrying him back to the living room. There wasn’t much more to do, they listened to some more records until it was time for dinner, ate in front of the TV, watched a movie and as soon as the sun had set, they made their way back to the cave. Robert would have loved to stay at his place for a little longer, but it just wasn’t comfortable for Jimmy, he needed the ocean, he needed to swim, so spending time in the cave was necessary, at least for now. 

It took Robert a while to get all the supplies and things he brought from home from his car into the cave, Jimmy felt awful for not being able to help, but it had to be done. It was starting to look more and more inhabited, Robert thought, as he looked around the cave, and smiled to himself. He now had an inflatable mattress, a blanket and a pillow, loads and loads of bottles of water, there was food, a portable radio, magazines and books, a toothbrush and toothpaste, soap and a razor, everything he needed. For now. 

Jimmy went for a swim in the lake, hydrating his body, before climbing back onto the shore, onto Robert’s mattress and ultimately, into his arms. Exhausted, they didn’t take long to fall asleep. 

The next day saw another visit of Jimmy’s family. To Robert’s delight, they had brought the hatchlings again. He greeted them all with a big smile and Jimmy’s mother even came to give him a hug. He saw that they’d brought some of Jimmy’s things, most importantly, his computer and something else that Robert didn’t recognize. It looked very techy and he couldn’t wait for Jimmy to explain what it was. He looked very excited and happy about it, so it was a good thing, Robert thought.

“I really want to tell them all about what we did yesterday! Is it ok if I hopp in there with them for a while?” Jimmy asked, gesturing towards the lake and Robert grinned at him. The hatchlings had immediately swarmed him, climbing into his arms, making adorable little noises.

“Of course, go ahead! I’ll entertain the brood, don’t you worry.” He answered, plucking an overly excited little hatchling from his hair and another one from inside his shirt. “Now, listen here, small fry...” He chuckled, holding them in his arms, gently scolding them for climbing all over him and getting all up in his business. 

Jimmy watched him for a moment, a strange expression on his face, and Robert felt some odd, wistful emotions through the bond before Jimmy seemed to clamp the connection shut and hurried into the water. Frowning, Robert wondered what that was about.

The hatchlings all stayed with him, and he wondered what to do to entertain them, although apparently, it didn’t take very much. They were so excited about him and so curious, just looking at him seemed to be fascinating enough. He picked up his guitar to play and sing for them for a bit, but it quickly became obvious that they were way too excited to sit still, so he got up and got ready to get into the water with them so they could move around a bit. 

The feisty little girl that had stolen his heart the last time poked his leg and reached up for him to pick her up as he was standing there, adjusting his goggles, so he did so. She squealed in delight at being so high up and looked around. She then pointed at the lake and made an urgent sound. 

“Yes, alright, we’re going in, don’t you worry.” Robert said and started walking to the shore. The little one got even more restless and started wiggling in his arms, somehow managing to free herself just when he’d made it to the shore. She jumped into the water with another happy squeal, immediately swimming back to Robert’s feet, asking to be picked up again. 

“Oh, you liked that? Again?” He asked, picking her up, amused. This one really was a little adrenaline junky. She wiggled and pointed at the lake again, but further towards the middle. Robert didn’t know whether that was a good idea, but he humored her and carefully tossed her. She flew through the air, giggling happily and entered the water smoothly, already swimming back to him.

Now the others had gotten curious and one of her brothers was attempting to climb Robert’s leg, pulling at his leg hair painfully. He couldn’t help but laugh, now all of them were coming over to him, wanting to be tossed as well.

One by one, he picked them up and tossed them, listening to their happy giggles and squeals. Soon, the feisty little girl figured out how to do some pretty cool stunts in the air, pointing her tail upwards or spinning around her own axis as she flew. That only encouraged her brother, who tried to one up her by doing a little backflip, much to her bemusement. To prove to him that she was actually better at this than him, she tried to spin and do a backflip at the same time, somehow ending up tail first in the water, making the rest of them laugh. 

Jimmy and his family had noticed what was going on at the surface and stuck their heads out of the water to watch the hatchlings flying through the air, doing their little flips and twists. They cheered them on, delighted by how much fun they were having with their human uncle. 

Towards the afternoon, Robert asked Jimmy if it was ok for him to run to a store to grab some more food for that evening. The merman quickly agreed, assuring him that now, their bond would most definitely be strong enough to withstand them being apart for a little while. The store Robert had in mind wasn’t too far from the cave anyway. He kissed his mate goodbye, making him blush horribly at being kissed in front of his family. Robert just gave them a sheepish grin and waved goodbye, assuming they’d have left by the time he got back. 

He rushed to the store, grabbed what he needed, then drove back to the cave. When he got inside, Jimmy was alone, but he was reading something or looking at something on his computer. He was sitting in the sand, at the shore, breathing air, even though he could have been in the water. It was almost like he prefered it now. Apparently, his computer worked just fine above water, his tail was stretched out in front of him, his computer resting on it as he used it.

“Hey. What did they bring?” Robert asked curiously, pointing at the little black box resting next to Jimmy and putting the paper bag with the groceries down on the plastic box next to his mattress. 

“They brought my computer and this... this thing, here, that will allow me to connect to our network even up here! Isn’t that amazing?? I can communicate with my family even when they’re not up here, now!” Jimmy told him excitedly, pointing at the small black box next to him. 

“Oh wow, that is so cool.” Robert gasped. “Can you show me pictures of your seahorses?” He asked, sitting down next to Jimmy. The merman nodded.

“Yes, sure, let me just finish this...” He said. His fingers were just dancing across the screen of his computer and Robert had absolutely no idea what he was doing, but he didn’t mind. He looked so happy to be connected to his people again, it made him happy in turn. He leaned over to grab the bag with groceries and fished out a can of beer, opening it as he waited for Jimmy to finish.

When he put the bag back down, he heard an odd sound, like sand crunching underneath some shoes or something, and frowned. He looked around, but saw nothing until a shadow that wasn’t usually there caught his eye. To his utter shock, a man slowly came out of the very same tunnel Robert always used to get into the cave.

Bonzo. 

Robert cursed, making Jimmy look up. He made a startled noise and Robert looked at him, expecting him to get into the lake and swim off, but he seemed to be completely frozen in fear, staring at the man with wide eyes, clutching his computer. Robert looked back over at Bonzo, still unable to process what was happening. Why was he here? How? 

“So this is what’s going on. This is why you left us.” Bonzo said as he stood in the middle of the cave, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he looked at them, curiously eyeing the merman. 

“I... what... Bonzo... how did you...” Robert stammered incoherently. His heart was pounding and he couldn’t think straight.

“I wanted to see you. You weren’t home. So I left. But then I saw your car in front of the store. I followed you.” Bonzo explained. He still hadn’t looked up at Robert, his eyes fixed on Jimmy’s tail. Robert didn’t know what he was thinking, what he was going to do, and it scared him to no end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-Oh.
> 
> Now that we've got that out of the way, I want to take this opportunity to thank someone who's made writing this story even more fun!
> 
> Dear Marauderofworlds (here on AO3 and on tumblr) has been creating absolutely stunning artwork for this story, but she's also been listening to my ranting, to my headcanons about this universe as well as sharing her own thoughts and headcanons about Robert, Merjimmy, the merfamily, the merbabies and everything this story entails with me. Without her, this story wouldn't be what it is today, so this one is for you, my dear! Thank you for being awesome! <3 I appreciate you so much!


	24. Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert has an argument with Bonzo and ends up making Jimmy mad at him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "..." is regular speech
> 
> // ... // is telepathic, mind-bond speech

Robert didn’t know what to say. His mind just seemed blank, empty. He looked at Bonzo, then at Jimmy. The merman still looked frozen, stiff, except for the ruffles along his tail. He’d never seen them twitching so violently, so nervously, before. Maybe they had been when they first men, but he hadn’t paid attention to them back then, not knowing their nature. He reached out to put his hand on top of Jimmy’s, squeezing it lightly. Turning his attention back to the other human, he tried to figure out what to say. Bonzo was obviously waiting for him to speak up.

“I... I can explain.” He stammered lamely and Bonzo finally looked at him, raising an eyebrow. 

“You know what I thought happened to you?” He asked. Robert just shook his head. “I thought you’d developed a drug problem. Like... a real drug problem, not all that weed you’re smoking all the time. I thought you were on something much, much worse.” He explained.

“I... I... sorry, I just... I don’t know...” Robert continued to stammer and the other man huffed.

“Do you know how worried I was? The last two times I saw you, you were just... so out of it. You started talking about the weirdest shit, strange, undiscovered species, then you tell me about someone you met, someone from a strange culture... then you just... disappear. You just fell off the face of the earth! What was I supposed to think??” Bonzo said. He wasn’t yelling, but it was apparent just how mad at Robert he was. 

“When I saw you going into this cave, I... I thought... I thought I was gonna find you in here with a needle in your arm, for fucks sake!” He added when Robert didn’t answer right away.

“I’m sorry, Bonzo. I... I mean, I couldn’t just... tell you about this, right?” Robert tried. 

“Why not? I’m your best friend, we’ve known each other for years.” The other man said, glancing at him, then at Jimmy. “What is it? Can it talk?” He then asked and Robert frowned at him referring to Jimmy like that.

“*He* can talk, yes.” He said, giving him a glare. “This is Jimmy.” He added and Bonzo eyed the merman curiously. 

“Where did you find it? How did you capture it?” He asked.

“What?? Stop calling him ‘it’!” Robert said angrily. “He’s a person, like you and me! What makes you think I... I.... ‘captured’ him?? He’s my... my... uh.... friend.” He said. Jimmy looked at him in surprise, then removed his hand from under Robert’s and glared at him. 

“Friend?” He asked and Robert swallowed thickly. He couldn’t just tell Bonzo about the bond and them being a couple, mates, could he? He wouldn’t understand. 

// Just... bear with me. // He told Jimmy through their bond, but the merman was offended, clearly. 

“Oh, it... he can talk!” Bonzo said, but Robert couldn’t tell whether his response was positive or not. 

“Jimmy, this is Bonzo, my... my best friend.” Robert said with a sigh. “Bonzo, this is Jimmy. He’s a merman, as you can see. We met at the shore, not far from here... remember I told you I come here every sunday to play and sing? To practice?” Robert explained. 

“Yeah. I remember.” Bonzo said and eyed Jimmy suspiciously. “You discovered this and you didn’t think to tell me about this??” He then asked, raising his voice. Jimmy jumped a little and Robert took his hand back into his own. “You found out that mermaids are fucking real and you didn’t even bother to tell me??” 

“Of course I couldn’t just tell you!” Robert yelled back. “What do you think would happen if everybody knew about them??” 

“Oh, so you think I can’t keep my mouth shut??” Bonzo asked angrily. 

“Well, yeah! You’d just get drunk and tell everyone and their grandma!” Robert said accusingly. 

“Wow. Wow, Plant! Seriously? Is that what you think of me??” Bonzo asked after a moment of stunned silence. 

“Yes, *Bonham*, that’s exactly what I think!” Robert said, glaring at the other man. Bonzo was silent for another moment, then glared at Jimmy.

“How do you even know this is safe? What if it.... what if he... just pulls you in there and drowns you or something??” He asked. Robert didn’t even know what to say, Jimmy just stared at him in disbelief as well.

“Why would I do that? What do you think I am? Some sort of monster?” He asked, then, addressing Bonzo for the first time. 

“Well, I don’t know you, do I? Because *he* didn’t tell me!” Bonzo shot back and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“I would never hurt my mate! I love him!” Jimmy clapped back, his tail twitching, fin slapping against the sand. Robert cringed and Bonzo raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, so it IS like that, isn’t it? You did fall in love with the mermaid! Mer...man.” Bonzo grinned at Robert. The blonde looked down and sighed. Denying it wouldn’t do him any good, he’d already hurt Jimmy by calling him just a friend, he’d only make it worse. 

“What do you want me to say, Bonzo? I’m sorry? I’m sorry I just fucked off without a word. I’m sorry I didn’t call. I’m sorry we don’t hang out much anymore.” He mumbled, staring down at the sand. He could tell that Jimmy was disappointed that he couldn’t just say ‘yes, I love him’ or something along those lines, the bond made that very clear. 

“How about ‘I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.’, hm?” Bonzo suggested and Robert huffed. 

“Don’t you understand how horrible it would be if the whole world knew about Jimmy??” He spat angrily. “Of course I know you wouldn’t tell anyone if I asked you not to. Sober you wouldn’t. Drunk you? I’m not so sure!” He added. 

“Bullshit! I can handle myself! Also, if you didn’t want to tell me you could have made an effort to stay in touch at the very least!” Bonzo growled in return. They were both getting more and more worked up, Robert felt that it was quickly spiraling out of control. 

“I had bigger problems, ok? Things happened, things I can’t even BEGIN to explain to you!” Robert yelled. Bronzo gave him another glare.

“Oh now I’m *stupid* as well as a drunk and unreliable, huh?” He said. “You’re an ass, Percy.” 

“I didn’t say that! For fucks sake! This is complicated, even I don’t understand it fully! This is completely new to me, too!” He tried to explain. 

“What’s not to understand? You found this... this... animal... creature... whatever..., you ‘fell in love’ and you forgot all about your friends. And your family.” Bonzo drawled. 

“It’s not like that... we had a problem. A bad one. Things went wrong and we had to fix it. And it took a while. Jimmy almost died, I got sick, too. It’s not as easy as you think it is!” Robert groaned. He didn’t know how to explain all of this. 

“It made you sick, too? And you still think this is a good idea?” Bonzo asked in disbelief. 

“Please stop calling me an ‘it’.” Jimmy whispered in a small voice. “Please stop blaming me for everything. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I know I made a mistake, but I didn’t mean to. I am sorry.” The way his voice sounded, so flat, defeated and sad, broke Robert’s heart. He wanted to defend him, to stand up for him, but he also didn’t want to lose his best friend. 

// It’s alright, baby... I love you, everything is going to be fine. // He told him telepathically. 

// Shut up. You can’t even say these words out loud in front of *him*. You’re no better than him! // Jimmy snapped at him and Robert bit the inside of his lip. That hurt, but he probably deserved it. Bonzo blinked at Jimmy, then shook his head.

“This is just... wrong. All of it. You should not be together. It’s disgusting.” He said. “You’re human, Robert. Not a fish. What do you want with... with this?” 

“Bonzo, please. Stop it. Jimmy is nice, just give him a chance...” Robert pleaded.

“I’m going to give *you* a chance. A chance to come to your senses and come back to Birmingham.” Bonzo said. “Forget about this, this isn’t right. Just come back home.” He finished and turned around to leave. “I’ll come back to pick you up tomorrow. That’s gotta be enough time to say your goodbyes.” He added and left the cave.

Robert stared at the entrance to the tunnel Bonzo had just left through, dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe what had just happened, he didn’t understand why Bonzo reacted that way, why he felt that way about Jimmy, why he was so scared of the merman. He most definitely wasn’t going to go back to Birmingham, so he just lost his best friend. 

“Fuck.” He cursed, then slowly turned back to Jimmy. To his surprise, the merman looked *livid*. 

“You know, he was right about one thing. You *are* an ass.” He said, pushed Robert away from him, went into the water and swam down towards the tunnel that connected their lake to the open ocean. 

“Wha-... Jimmy!” Robert couldn’t even react fast enough, the merman was gone, swimming fast. 

// Jimmy. What did I do? Come back, talk to me? Please! // He said through their bond, glad that he could still reach the merman. 

// What did you do?? You don’t even know what you did?? Fuck you, Robert. // Jimmy hissed in his head and the wave of disappointment, hurt and anger that hit him through the bond almost hurt physically. A few moments later, a headache set in. This was most definitely taking a toll on their new, fragile bond.

// Please come back, love. I’m sorry. Let’s talk about this, please. This is hurting the bond. // Robert said, hoping Jimmy’s rational mind would kick in and keep him from severing their connection once more. It took a few minutes, but then Robert sensed the merman’s presence coming closer again, and soon, he saw him in the lake, slowly swimming up to him. He didn’t breach the surface, he stayed in the lake, crossing his arms in front of his chest, glaring up at Robert.

// Well? Talk. // He said curtly. He obviously didn’t like having to give in, but he most definitely didn’t want to end up back in the hospital, or worse, again. Robert breathed a sigh of relief.

// I’m sorry I didn’t tell him the truth right away. I’m sorry I called you my friend. // Robert said, guessing that that was what Jimmy was so upset about.

// Go on. // Jimmy prompted and Robert paused. That wasn’t all? What else had he done? 

// I... Uhm. I’m sorry I hurt you? // He said lamely and Jimmy sent a few pulses of anger through the bond in response. // Look, I don’t know why you’re so upset with me, please just tell me? // Robert asked, deciding to just be honest.

// You’re such a... such a dick! // Jimmy cursed and Robert almost had to smile at the memory that conjured up, him teaching the merman that expression. // You did *nothing* to defend me! You just LET that man say all those things about me, TO MY FACE! How dare you treat me like that? I am your mate! // Jimmy yelled, the words echoing in Robert’s head. Realization dawned on the blonde and he cringed. He actually was an ass. 

// Oh shit. I’m so sorry. // He said. // You’re right. I was so focused on trying not to lose my best friend that I didn’t think of defending you. // He added honestly, keeping the connection between them as open as possible to let Jimmy feel what he felt. The merman eyed him for a moment, still angry, but then he seemed to sigh, as much as that worked under water, and slowly swam up to Robert. 

“I’m sorry.” Robert repeated as Jimmy climbed ashore again. He wanted to go and hug him, but he had no idea if Jimmy would want him to, so he waited.

“This may... be a... cultural misunderstanding.” Jimmy gasped once he got the water out of his system. So there he was, the rational scientist rather than the wronged lover, Robert thought. 

“A cultural misunderstanding?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yes. You see, in our culture... your mate stands above everything and everyone. Friends, even family. Your mate comes first.” Jimmy explained. “If your family talks badly about your mate, you’d sooner cut off your entire family than letting them get away with it.” He said. 

“I understand.” Robert nodded. It made sense, with a connection like this, it would have to be that way. 

“I was shocked that you let your friend talk about me like that. If one of my friends dared to talk about you that way, I would be angry. I would yell at them. I would make them stop. They wouldn’t be considered my friend anymore. I wouldn’t even try to reason with them. They would be *dead* to me.” He explained. 

“You’re right. I should have done that.” Robert said. He was actually mad at himself for not doing that when he’d had the chance. It was so clear to him now why Jimmy got so angry. “Fuck. I’m so sorry, love. I will give him a piece of my mind as soon as he gets here tomorrow.” 

“You should.” Jimmy agreed. “I can stand up for myself. But in this case, it really was your job.” 

“Yeah. I should have realized that, but I was just so... upset, and so scared. I didn’t want to lose my friend, I didn’t want him to just go and tell everyone about you... I thought I could save this friendship.” Robert groaned.

“Is he really your friend if he treats you and your mate this way?” Jimmy asked. Robert thought about it for a moment.

“You’re right. He’s not. He doesn’t get to call you all those things and still be my friend.” Robert said. Now, the anger he’d felt was turning against Bonzo and he almost couldn’t wait for the man to come back, just so he could give him a piece of his mind. On the other hand, he was afraid, though. “What if he tells someone about you, though?” Jimmy shrugged.

“Would they believe him? You said he likes to drink.” He said. “I’m not worried.” 

“That’s true.” Robert mused. “I’d still prefer if he didn’t say anything.” 

“He really thinks I’m a monster that’s just waiting to drown you and eat you, doesn’t he?” Jimmy sighed. 

“Humans are weird like that. They are afraid of things they don’t understand.” Robert said. 

“You weren’t afraid of me. At all. On the contrary. I remember the look on your face when you saw me for the first... well, the second time. When you waited for me underneath that boulder.” Jimmy said. “You looked so happy to see me even though you didn’t know me yet.” 

“Well. I’m a bit of an odd one.” Robert chuckled. “I always see the good in people. I don’t assume people are bad, like most others. I may be a bit naive that way.” He shrugged. 

“I like that about you.” Jimmy said softly and gave him a little smile. Robert looked up at him and returned said smile, then tried to send some pulses of love and warmth through the bond. When Jimmy giggled, he knew he didn’t quite get it right, but he got the message across nevertheless.

“I truly, truly am sorry, baby. I promise I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, I’ll make it right.” He said, inching closer to the merman. “May I hug you?” He asked. 

“Yes.” Jimmy breathed softly and melted into his arms when Robert wrapped them around him. “I’m sorry I yelled at you like that. I didn’t understand that friendships may be differ-” He started but Robert stopped him.

“No, you were right. This isn’t just a cultural thing. I should have known.” He said gently. “You should always come first.” He added and pulled back a little to look at Jimmy. They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment before Robert leaned in to kiss the merman, slowly and tentatively. When Jimmy pulled him in and kissed him back, his mind filled with such warmth and happiness, he couldn’t help but grin into the kiss.

// Damn, making up after a fight feels bloody *amazing*. // He said and Jimmy just smiled in agreement.


	25. Sold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonzo is back and Robert gives him a piece of his mind. To his surprise, Bonzo is willing to listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always:
> 
> "..." is regular speech  
// ... // is telepathic speech

Robert felt their stressed bond heal much, much quicker this time, a few minutes of cuddling and it was back to normal, as strong as before, maybe stronger, and his headache was gone completely. He hoped that this wouldn’t happen in the future. If it was like that with every little fight, it’d be a pain in the... well, head, he figured. 

He spent most of the rest of the night worrying about what he was going to say to Bonzo the next day. Jimmy noticed, of course, he couldn’t really hide his thoughts from his mate, he just didn’t know how. 

// Just be yourself, Robert. You are always honest, you always speak your mind. Tell him what you think. // Jimmy offered and Robert sighed.

// If I’m honest, I will end up hurting you again. // He said worriedly. Jimmy looked up at him and brushed a lock of hair away from his face.

“Why?” He asked, using his actual voice again. 

“Because... I still don’t really want to lose my friend, but at the same time, I want to honor what you told me and defend my mate. I can’t do both, can I?” He sighed. Jimmy studied his face for a while, thinking. 

“I understand this friendship means a lot to you.” He said slowly after a while. “I understand you don’t want to lose it. But... I need you to stand up for me and tell him that his words hurt me. That it wasn’t ok. If he understands and apologizes, I may give him a second chance. If he doesn’t...” He trailed off and shrugged. 

“If he doesn’t, I definitely don’t want to see him again.” Robert decided. “Luckily Bonzo isn’t as stubborn as you.” He then added with a small grin and Jimmy frowned at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?” He asked. 

“Well, if you have an opinion, that’s it, it can’t be changed, right? Bonzo is a little more pliable, maybe I can convince him that you’re not so bad after all.” Robert chuckled.

“Hey. I’m not like that, I can totally see when I’m wrong, you know. Only, I’m never wrong.” He said and poked out his tongue. Robert threw his head back and laughed. 

“See, this is why I love you.” He said and pulled the merman into his arms again. They snuggled up on the mattress and settled for sleep again, although it didn’t come easily for Robert. He wrecked his brain almost all night about what to say, only falling asleep towards the morning. He didn’t sleep for long, though, they both had a quick breakfast and waited anxiously for Bonzo to return.

When he did, Robert swallowed the lump in his throat and got up, ready to tell his friend exactly what he thought of his behaviour. Bonzo entered the cave, this time carrying a flashlight as well to find his way through the tunnel more easily. He lowered it and switched it off as he got into the cave, looked around for a moment, until his gaze settled on Jimmy. He actually gave him a little nod before looking at Robert.

“Morning.” Bonzo said curtly. “So... are you going to come back home with me?” He asked, although Robert could tell that he already knew the answer, since he saw very clearly that Robert hadn’t packed his things and he looked to be ready for a fight.

“No, Bonzo.” The blonde sighed. “I won’t be coming home with you. I love Jimmy, he means everything to me and I would never leave him.” He said and took a deep breath before continuing. Bonzo just looked at him like he’d expected that, but he didn’t say anything, letting Robert speak for now.

“I’m disappointed in you. I’m mad at you. I can’t believe you’re so close minded and scared. I can’t believe you spoke to Jimmy like that and said those things to him. He is not a monster. He may not be human, but he is a wonderful person. He is incredibly smart, he’s very curious, he’s funny and cute, he’s so sweet and loving and you really, really hurt him with what you said.” Robert ranted and again, Bonzo said nothing, he just looked at him and... listened. At least Robert wanted to believe he was actually listening, so he just went on.

“I understand that you were mad at me. I get it, I really do, but that doesn’t mean you get to talk to Jimmy like that. It doesn’t mean you get to call him all those awful names, call him ‘it’ like he’s a thing.” He said passionately. “I didn’t want to just... stop talking to you, you know. Some things happened between Jimmy and me that... weren’t great. It was very difficult. I felt awful and I had no way of changing my situation, I couldn’t do anything. I was completely helpless, and so was Jimmy, until his friends and his family helped us. From then on... things started looking up again. I would have come back, I would have called. I just needed some more time.” 

Robert finally finished his monologue and sighed deeply. He’d gotten it all off his chest, he’d stood up for his mate and he felt the warmth flooding their bond, Jimmy was happy with what he’d said about him, he felt loved. That was the most important part. Anything else was up to the other human now. 

Bonzo eyed him curiously for a moment, glanced at Jimmy, then back at Robert. To the blonde’s utter confusion, he shrugged, went to the plastic box Robert kept most of his belongings in, grabbed a can of beer, sat on the mattress next to the box, cracked open the can, took a sip, made a face because it wasn’t cold, then looked up at Robert again.

“Alright. Tell me the story. The whole thing. Convince me that this isn’t a bad idea that’s gonna cost you your life.” He said. When Robert just stared at him in disbelief, he sighed again. “I can see that you’re serious about this. You really love him and you really don’t see anything wrong with it. I want to understand.”

Robert blinked at him, surprised, then glanced at Jimmy. He really wanted to tell Bonzo everything, but he wasn’t sure if his mate would want him to.

// Is... is that OK? Can I tell him? // He asked nervously. Jimmy nodded.

// Go ahead. He sounds like he actually wants to learn. // He answered while Bonzo watched them with a neutral expression on his face. Robert wondered what he was thinking, he must have noticed the silent communication taking place. 

“Alright.” He said heavily and went to grab a can of beer as well. It was early in the morning and that wouldn’t usually be his drink of choice, but the occasion called for it, he thought. He took the rest of the six pack and stuck it into the sand in the lake, so the cold water would cool the cans for later. He plopped down in the sand next to Jimmy and took a sip of his beer. 

// This is your story, too. Feel free to chime in. I know you probably don’t want to talk to Bonzo, but... it might help change his mind. // Robert said, then started to speak.

“So it all began in May, when I was sitting on that boulder, playing guitar and singing, just like I used to, every sunday...” He began. Slowly, he told Bonzo everything that had happened between that day in May when he’d found Jimmy, all tangled up in the net, and that very moment with them sitting together in their cave. The other man just listened silently, nodding at times, shaking his head from time to time. It took them a while to get through the whole story and to explain everything properly, especially the bond and what it did to them initially. 

“So... yeah. That’s it. That’s what happened.” Robert finished with a sigh and looked at his friend. Jimmy hadn’t said very much, just occasionally explaining a merpeople thing here and there, or something about the bond. Bonzo hadn’t apologized to him, so he was reluctant to even talk to him. Understandably so, Robert thought. “Say something?” He prompted, when Bonzo was still silent. 

“This is a lot to digest, you know.” Bonzo finally answered, thoughtfully toying with a handful of sand. “I’m not sure if this is supposed to make me less scared or more.” 

“Why more?” Robert asked with a frown. 

“Think about it. A highly technologically advanced species is living on the same planet, billions of them, and we didn’t even know. They are SO much more advanced than us, they could wipe us in the blink of an eye.” Bonzo said. Robert rolled his eyes.

“Bonzo. Jimmy can’t even walk on land, he’d take half a minute to get over to you to slap you across the face and you’re sitting almost right on front of him!” He said. He couldn’t believe Bonzo still didn’t understand that merpeople meant no harm. “They’ve known about us for centuries, they have been studying us. Don’t you think that if they wanted to “wipe us out”, they would have done so already?” 

“Maybe so. I don’t know. I don’t know these people. I can’t look into their heads, unlike you.” Bonzo said. “This whole... “bond thing”... it just sounds like bollocks to me. Witchcraft. It’s just... so unbelievable.”

“How do you think I felt when I first noticed it?” Robert asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought I was going crazy and Jimmy didn’t want to explain it to me back then because he still thought he could stop it from forming.” 

“You really tried to stop this, didn’t you?” Bonzo then asked Jimmy, who looked a little nervous to be addressed directly, but he nodded solemnly.

“I did. I did everything I could, I tried to push him away so the bond wouldn’t form, but it was too late. It had already happened because I had fallen in love with him and... Robert felt the same way. I didn’t even know that that was possible.” Jimmy sighed. “I broke the bond, hoping I’d survive and Robert wouldn’t even know what happened, but that didn’t work out. I got sick, I got weaker every day until... well, I don’t remember much, to be honest.” He said. “I hoped Robert would move on, forget about me, find a wife, live a normal life. Just like you.” 

“If this is actually true... if all of this actually happened... I owe you an apology.” Bonzo said after a moment of contemplation. “Sounds like you did your best to stop this and it just wasn’t within your power.” 

“So you still think this is... wrong?” Jimmy asked sadly. Bonzo may have been ‘apologizing’, but it sounded like he was just giving Jimmy credit for trying to stop all of this from happening in the first place, Robert thought.

“Well... I don’t know. Don’t you think we should all stick to our own species?” Bonzo wondered. 

“That’s what they used to say to interracial couples, you know. Hell, some people still tell them that!” Robert said and rolled his eyes. That had always bugged him to no end.

“Yes, and of course that’s bullshit because in interracial couples, both parties are human. This is different, Robert. Very different.” Bonzo answered.

“Humans and merpeople aren’t so different, Bonzo!” Robert argued. 

“Culturally, maybe they are not. Biologically? Very different.” The other man shot back. “Whatever, it doesn’t make a difference anymore. You two are a thing, whether I like it or not and you can’t just break up, right? So arguing about it doesn’t really make sense. I’m sorry I said those things about you. I don’t know you very well, but... from what I heard, you’re not a monster. You seem to have a good portion of common sense.” He then added, looking at Jimmy.

“Uhm. Thanks.” The merman said awkwardly and raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Look. I’m apologizing to you. I’m sorry.” Bonzo repeated. “I’m not good at this. Don’t make this harder than it already is.” He added and Jimmy actually smiled at him.

“Alright. Apology accepted.” He said. “You reminded of one of my brothers a little. He talks before thinking about what he’s saying and he’s not very good with apologies, either.” He grinned. Bonzo chuckled.

“There must be something about you if Robert likes you so much. I’ve never seen him like this before.” He said and Jimmy beamed at him. 

“I am pretty amazing, yes!” He quipped and giggled. Robert let go of a breath he’d been holding for a while, relief washing over him. Jimmy and Bonzo were joking and laughing, maybe everything would be alright after all. 

“I still don’t understand how you learned english so quickly.” Bonzo wondered. Jimmy shrugged.

“I’ve been studying human books that we’ve found for several years. I’ve been translating a few of them. It wasn’t easy, but I was so eager to talk to Robert, I studied and practiced for hours every single day. I barely slept. I was so excited about getting to talk to an actual human instead of just reading about them.” He explained. “I don’t think that’s very special.”

“I do think merpeople are smarter than humans.” Robert commented. “Even if I studied that much, I couldn’t become fluent in another language within 2 or 3 weeks. Especially one that is very different to my mother tongue. Look at your technology, too. Why do you have all that technology and we don’t?” 

“I told you, we had the resources we needed to make all that, there’s an abundance of rare metals and things needed for this type of thing at the bottom of the ocean...” Jimmy argued. 

“It can’t just be that, though. We have all those resources, too.” Bonzo agreed with Robert and Jimmy shrugged again. 

“I don’t like thinking of myself as smarter than my mate. I want us to be equals.” He said, looking down thoughtfully. 

“Nah, man, every good relationship needs a smart person and a dumb one. You see, with me and my wife, my wife’s the smart one. I’d be nothing without her.” Bonzo said with a grin, making Robert laugh. “I’d constantly get in trouble if it wasn’t for her.” 

“Well that’s not good! I have a tendency to get myself in trouble!” Jimmy gasped, and Bonzo laughed. 

“Oh no! Whatever will become of Robert??” He howled and slapped his thigh. 

“I don’t want that kind of responsibility!” Jimmy said, mock-pouting and crossing his arms in front of his chest before bursting into giggles as well. Robert watched them with the biggest smile on his face, glad to see them getting along so well. Suddenly, a strange, vacant look appeared in the merman’s eyes and Robert wondered what was happening. 

“Robert. My family. They’re coming. I can feel them.” Jimmy explained a moment later. “I didn’t think they’d come visit again today, they were here yesterday! What do we do?” 

“What do you mean, what do we do? Can’t I meet your family?” Bonzo asked, confused. Jimmy looked at him. 

“I... I suppose.” He stammered. “They’ll be mad at us for not being more careful and revealing our existence to *another* human.” He sighed.

“Someone would have found out sooner or later.” Bonzo pointed out. 

“It’s too late, anyways. They’re here.” Jimmy said, turning towards the water. “Even if you ran to the tunnel now they’d still see you.”

“Are the little ones here, too?” Robert asked, a part of him hoping they wouldn’t be, in case Jimmy’s parents got really mad at him, another part of him really wanting to see them again. He just didn’t want them to get caught in a fight between the adults.

“Yes.” Jimmy confirmed and indeed, a few moments later the merpeople breached the surface, crawling on land. They all froze as soon as they spotted Bonzo, who was watching them with wide eyes, completely fascinated. Robert remembered how he felt when he met them all for the first time, it had been quite overwhelming, and Bonzo had only learned about merpeople even existing yesterday. 

“It’s ok.” Jimmy said, nodding and gesturing for his family to come closer. Robert was aware that he was probably also talking to them via their family bond, but he still found it endearing that he’d said that in english, as well. He turned to Bonzo. “I’ll quickly explain to them who you are.” He said, then turned back to his family. 

“There are... children.” Bonzo said, staring at the hatchlings who all sat right at the shore, looking back at him with just as much curiosity. 

“Yeah... Jimmy’s nieces and nephews.” Robert explained. “That’s his sister and her mate, those are his parents.” He introduced the others. Jimmy’s friend from the institute wasn’t there, this time. Robert had really hoped to meet him again soon. 

“They are so small.” Bonzo said in wonder. 

“Oh yeah... can you imagine how tiny they were when they hatched??” Robert grinned. Most of the little ones were a little shy and stayed with their parents, a particularly shy boy even hid behind his father’s tail fin, but the little girl immediately started crawling towards him. 

“They hatch?? Like, from eggs??” Bonzo asked, bewildered. Robert laughed and nodded.

“Well, yes. What did you expect?” He chuckled and picked the little girl up, carefully brushing some of her wet hair out of her face with the tip of his finger. “Hey, little tadpole.” He greeted her gently.

“Right...” Bonzo mumbled, glancing at Jimmy’s mother, then at his sister. “That’s... disappointing. I had a different picture of mermaids in my head.” He said and Robert glared at him. 

“Don’t be rude.” He said, shaking his head at him. He wasn’t too surprised that Bonzo went there, it wasn’t like he hadn’t thought of that, too, but he didn’t like him saying it out loud.

“Why, it’s not like they can understand me, right?” The other man asked. “They’re not like *your* merman.” 

“Just shut up.” Robert hissed. He turned his attention back towards the hatchling in his arms and smiled at her. She was making noises at him, cute little coos, and it was the most adorable thing.

“Is she trying to say your name?” Bonzo asked, frowning, as he listened closely. Robert raised an eyebrow and looked back down at her.

“Are you?” He wondered and she cooed again. Indeed, it almost sounded like she was trying to say his name. “Alright, almost, you’re getting there! Robert. Ro-bert!” He said slowly. 

“Wo-wo.” She tried and the blonde laughed. 

“Bert. Ro-bert.” He enunciated each syllable slowly. She watched his lips and frowned, then tried again.

“Wo-bit.” She said quietly, then grinned in triumph. “Wobit!” She yelled, happy with the new word she learned. 

“Almost, sweetheart, almost. Ro-bert.” He said it again, encouraging her.

“Wobit.” She insisted, beamed up at him and snuggled against his chest happily. Robert couldn’t help but melt inside and held her close carefully. 

“Alright. I’m sold. This is, hands down, the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.” Bonzo said, staring at Robert and the hatchling and only then did the blonde notice that all the other merpeople had stopped talking via their bond and were watching him and the little girl. He gave them a sheepish grin, then smiled at Jimmy, who was, once again, watching him with that odd expression on his face. 

// What’s wrong, love? // He asked, opting for telepathic speech so the others wouldn’t hear. The merman looked so sad and Robert had no idea why. He wondered if his parents were mad, although they most definitely didn’t look angry. A little worried maybe, but not angry.

// Nothing. // Jimmy said, but he turned away from him, not looking at him anymore. Robert could tell that that was a lie, but he didn’t want to get into another fight, especially not with everybody present, so he let it go. For now. He made a mental note to ask him about it later, since this wasn’t the first time it happened and it always seemed to happen when his family was there.

He turned back to Bonzo and forced a smile on his face.

“They *are* the most adorable, aren’t they?” He said. He knew even Bonzo couldn’t resist their charm. He had a son, a little toddler called Jason, and he loved him more than life itself. He knew that if anything would sway him, make him change his mind, it would be the hatchlings. 

“Yeah... how old are they??” Bonzo asked and Robert blinked at him.

“I... don’t actually know.” He admitted. Jimmy seemed to be in a conversation with his parents again, so he didn’t want to bother him. “Maybe, like 3 years old or something?” He guessed. He had no idea how quickly merpeople grew and matured. 

The little girl in his arms had meanwhile taken an interest in Bonzo, curiously eyeing him. Suddenly, she wiggled in Robert’s arms, extending her little arms towards Bonzo.

“Oh. Oh! You want... in my arms?” The other man asked, surprised. 

“Oh yeah, she’s a fierce, curious one.” Robert chuckled. He picked her up and carefully handed her to Bonzo. Her parents were watching, slightly worriedly, so he smiled at them, wanting them to know that it was ok.

“Well, hello...” Bonzo said, gingerly taking the hatchling. She looked even smaller in his big hands. She laughed in delight at making a new friend, then reached up for his face. When Bonzo held her up a little higher, she curiously touched his moustache, making another happy coo. 

“Aww, she likes your moustache!” Robert chuckled. Only then did it occur to him that none of the merpeople had any kind of facial hair. Jimmy didn’t either and he’d never seen him shave, so... this was probably completely new to her. 

“She does... ow! Ouch!” Bonzo exclaimed when she grabbed and pulled at some hairs. She immediately let go at his pained noises and pouted at him adorably. “Hey, can you say my name, too? Bonzo! Bon-zo!” He tried. She just looked at him blankly until Robert tried it as well, trying to get her to say his name. She tilted her head and considered it for a moment.

“Bo-bo.” She said, finally, nodding to herself. Apparently, that was good enough. “Wobit. Bobo.” She said, pointing at them. Robert nodded enthusiastically and clapped, wanting to encourage her. Maybe, on day, she’d actually learn english properly.

“I can see why you like the little tadpoles so much.” Bonzo then said with a chuckle. “Don’t you wish you could talk to all of them, though?” He then added, glancing at Jimmy’s parents. 

“Yeah. Oh god, you have no idea. It’s so awkward, sometimes.” Robert sighed. “Jimmy said that maybe he could make their computers translate for us. As least in written form, since their language can’t be spoken on land at all.”

“Ah. So that’s why they’re talking, uh, in their heads?” Bonzo guessed and Robert nodded. “Maybe they can learn english, too.” The dark haired man then added and Robert shrugged. 

“Maybe.” He said. His thoughts strayed back to Jimmy and he wondered what was up. His mate still hadn’t looked at him again. 

// Love? Is everything alright? They’re not mad, are they? // He then asked, deciding to take the risk of interrupting them. It took Jimmy a moment to answer, so he probably had been interrupting. 

// No. A little worried, but not angry. It’s alright. // He said. 

“His parents aren’t mad. They’re just a little worried.” Robert told Bonzo. The other man nodded.

“I get that. Can’t he tell them that I won’t hurt them? That I won’t tell anyone?” He asked. “I mean... now that I’ve seen these little ones... I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to them. I know what it’s like to have kids. I know what it’s like to worry.”

Jimmy had obviously heard what Bonzo said and turned to smile at him. 

“You’re not a bad person after all.” He said and the other man frowned, then sighed. 

“I know I was an asshole. But this... yeah, I get it. You’re just like us. You’re people, like us.” Bonzo said. Robert noticed that he meant it, that now, he really understood. Seeing Jimmy’s family, especially the hatchlings, helped. Just like Robert, he’d immediately felt fiercely protective of them.

“I’ll tell them you’re a friend of mine, too, and that you won’t tell anybody else.” Jimmy said and Bonzo actually smiled at him as well before the merman turned back to his parents. 

“Will you come up with an excuse for me until the bond allows me to come back home more often?” Robert asked and Bonzo huffed.

“Yeah. I’ll cover for you, don’t you worry.” He said. “I got your back.” Now that was what Robert needed to hear. He smiled at Bonzo and his friend smiled right back at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about you guys, but I am *living* for Wobit and Bobo! <3


	26. Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's find out what's wrong with Jimmy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "..." is regular, normal speech  
// ... // is telepathic speech, as always :) Enjoy

Jimmy’s family stuck around for the rest of the day, both Robert and Bonzo played with the hatchlings a lot, they asked to be tossed again, much to Bonzos delight, and later they tried to teach them some more human words (with varying success). 

Jimmy was still acting weird, barely looking at Robert, staying mostly with his family, when before he’d always tried to get them to interact more, he’d translate for them and get them to talk, but now he was just avoiding all of that and Robert didn’t know why. He knew, though, that he’d have to bring it up even if Jimmy would rather not talk about it. 

Bonzo left with the promise of not telling anyone about the merpeople, he’d come up with an excuse as to why Robert was making himself scarce with his family and friends and oddly enough, the blonde trusted his friend. For now. 

He planned to ask Jimmy what was up over dinner, but as they were eating, Jimmy was almost normal again, they were having a good time, talking and eating and enjoying each other’s company. Robert didn’t want to ruin that, so he waited a little longer. When he felt that the time was right, he took a deep breath and gave Jimmy a little smile.

“Baby... I know that you weren’t completely honest with me earlier.” He said carefully. Jimmy’s head snapped up and he stared at him, then he shrugged and sighed.

“Of course you know.” He said, sounding defeated and maybe a little scared. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, I’m not mad at you, I’m just... worried. You’re acting so strangely and I don’t know why.” Robert sighed. “It’s like you’re... sad. Or like you... want something, but you can’t get it.” 

“It’s just... merpeople things.” Jimmy shrugged. “You wouldn’t understand.” 

“You could try to explain it to me. Please?” Robert asked, reaching out to take Jimmy’s hand into his own. The merman allowed it and held his hand in turn. 

“I’d rather not. Not now, at least. I have to deal with this on my own.” He said in a small voice. Robert didn’t really like that, but then again, he couldn’t make Jimmy tell him if he didn’t want to.

“Alright. If there’s anything I can do, you can tell me, though.” He said gently and Jimmy finally looked up at him and smiled, nodding.

“Thank you.” He said and gave his hand a little squeeze. “Some cuddles might help a little.” He then added with a cheekily little smile and Robert grinned back at him, let go of his hand and opened his arms. It didn’t take Jimmy long to snuggle up to him and Robert wrapped his arms around him tightly. 

“I love you so, so much.” He whispered and kissed the top of his head. 

“Love you, too.” Jimmy mumbled against his chest and rubbed his cheek against him, still smiling. He looked happy, now. 

During the next few days, their bond seemed to strengthen more and more, it wasn’t a problem for Robert to go for walks or on little shopping trips to the town, Jimmy was able to swim further and further away without causing them a headache, too and after a few more days, Jimmy asked if he could swim back to the city with his family once they came to visit again. Robert agreed that they should try, he’d stay in the cave just in case so Jimmy could get to him quickly if he needed to.

Everything worked out fine, Jimmy made it to the city at the bottom of the ocean just fine. He didn’t stay for very long, since the commute back and forth was so long already, but when he came back, he looked just a little happier and he brought some of this belongings as well. His parents had already been bringing little things every time they came to visit, but now Jimmy got to bring what he really wanted and needed. Robert could tell it made him a whole lot more comfortable at the surface.

From that day on, Jimmy went back home every single day, bringing a few things every time. One of the first really big things he brought was something he actually built himself. It was a sort of ‘door’ to cover the entrance to the tunnel that connected the lake to the ocean. He told Robert he needed that to feel more secure and more ‘homely’ there now that he spent so much time in that lake and Robert understood. 

At one point, Jimmy started swimming down to the city first thing in the morning, coming back briefly around noon, just to swim back again. Robert barely got to talk to him anymore, Jimmy even seemed to avoid talking to him through their bond, giving only short answers, he seemed to be entirely focused on his task.

He brought more and more things, he build himself one of the round beds Robert had seen in his pictures, he brought little storage things to keep his stuff in, he brought things Robert didn’t recognize, but he slowly made the lake his new home, that much he could tell. It started to look more and more like a home, comfortable and homely, with all the little decorations and soft things Jimmy brought.

Robert was just worried about how obsessive Jimmy seemed to be, rushing to the city all the time to bring stuff. On the one hand, he was afraid the merpeople authorities would catch on to what he was doing (if they hadn’t already), and on the other hand, he was worried about Jimmy’s wellbeing. He didn’t seem happy doing this, he seemed stressed. 

It all peaked when at some point, as Jimmy was arranging something in the lake, he just randomly burst into tears (the only way Robert could tell, of course, was through the bond, as Jimmy was in the water).

// Fuck. What is wrong, baby?? // He asked as he waded into the water carefully. 

// Leave me alone... // Jimmy sobbed, but Robert had no intention of doing so. He grabbed his snorkel and put it in his mouth, slowly sitting down next to where Jimmy was. Luckily the merman had built his bed close to the surface so Robert could be there, too, if he used his snorkel. 

// No. This is getting worse. You need to talk to me. // Robert said gently but firmly and pulled the distraught merman into his arms. // Please. //

// You wouldn’t understand! // Jimmy said, but he didn’t push him away, instead, he clung to him, cuddling up close. 

// Then make me understand. Explain. // Robert suggested. // What is happening? Why are you so stressed? Why are you doing all of this? // It took Jimmy quite a while to answer. 

// I think... I think I am... nesting. // He said slowly, hiding his face. He was ashamed to admit that and Robert didn’t even know what it meant.

// Nesting? // He asked and Jimmy sobbed, nodding against his chest. 

Suddenly, it hit Robert like a truck and he shook his head at himself for not realizing it earlier. With the way Jimmy had been acting, the way he’d looked at Robert whenever he was with the hatchlings, the way he was making the lake all cozy and homely... it all made sense now.

// You want hatchlings? You want little ones of your own? // Robert asked gently and again, Jimmy just sobbed and nodded. It took him another moment to answer.

// It’s just... a stupid instinct that I can’t suppress. // He said. // It happens to some of us after we meet our mate and a bond is formed. // 

// I understand... // Robert said. // Well, as much as I, as a human, can. // He added and hugged Jimmy more tightly. 

// I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was so embarrassed... // Jimmy said.

// But why? It’s not your fault, if it’s an instinct, you can’t help it! // Robert argued.

// But I’m not like other merpeople. I can’t just talk to my mate and... make it happen. You’re a human. We’re both males. // The merman said desperately and clung to his mate. 

// We *will* make it happen. Not now, of course. It’s going to take time. But we *will* have hatchlings, I promise. I’ll do everything I can to make this possible. // Robert cooed and nuzzled Jimmy’s neck. // We just have to figure out what to do with you until then. Can’t you talk to someone about this? Your parents or your siblings maybe? //

// Maybe. I’m just so ashamed that that happened to me when we can’t even... // He trailed off and shrugged. 

// There’s no need to be ashamed, baby. // Robert said. // It’s not your fault. Talk to someone, maybe they can help. I’ll do whatever I can to help, too. //

// Can you come cuddle with me in the nest I made? // Jimmy asked in a small voice and Robert smiled widely. 

// I would love to. // He said. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stay too long because he’d get cold and the snorkel was uncomfortable, but he’d do his best to stay as long as possible. Jimmy disentangled himself from Robert and pulled him over to the nest. It was built up on a little shelf of sand and just deep enough so Robert could use his snorkel. If he sat up straight, he could even breathe normally, so he wasn’t too uncomfortable there. 

There were blankets and pillows and everything was wonderfully soft and comfortable. Robert had no idea what they were even filled with, or what the fabric was made of, but they felt very nice. They lay down and Jimmy immediately curled his tail around Robert’s ankle, something he usually only ever did when they were intimate, but Robert could tell that this wasn’t about *that*. Shyly, Jimmy looked up at him and gave him a little smile. He still looked vaguely embarrassed. 

// Just think about how wonderful it’s going to be when we have our own hatchlings. You could feed them while I hold them... you could take them for little swims around the lake... I could play with them on land, get them used to it... it’s going to be so nice. // Robert cooed, caressing Jimmy’s back soothingly. 

// You could read to them or sing them songs. // The merman agreed with a little smile. // I’d want your face to be the first one they see when they hatch. // He then added and Robert paused.

// Hatch? But... wouldn’t we have to adopt hatchlings? Wouldn’t they have already hatched? // He wondered. Jimmy sighed. 

// Well. Since we can’t have any together... I’d at least want them to be *mine*, you know. // Jimmy admitted, squirming a little. He was uncomfortable admitting that, but Robert understood. 

// I can see why. It makes sense. // Robert nodded. // How would that work? //

// Egg donations. I could get eggs that we could... fertilize, with my... you know. // He said awkwardly, but Robert got the gist of it. // That way, you would be included in the whole thing, too, if you were the one to... // He trailed off again and blushed. 

// Ah. I see what you mean. // Robert said and grinned. // I thought the eggs were fertilized inside the female, though? // He then wondered. He was nowhere near as uncomfortable talking about this as Jimmy was and he hoped it’d be ‘contagious’, if he just treated it as the most natural thing in the world.

// There are incubators that same-sex couples use. // Jimmy explained. 

// Wow, you guys have it all figured out, huh? // Robert marveled. He hadn’t expected it to be so... well, easy. Although it was far from easy for *them*, in particular. 

// Well, as you pointed out, we are way more accepting of things like that than humans, at least at this point. // Jimmy said. 

// Are there a lot of same-sex couples? // Robert asked curiously and Jimmy nodded.

// Yes. It’s just as normal to us as... how do you humans say that? Straight couples? // He said. 

// That’s wonderful. I hope we can get there at some point, too. // Robert sighed. // Be more accepting of stuff like that, I mean. If we ever go public with our relationship, a lot of people are going to react like Bonzo did at first, you know. //

// I know. They won’t accept it. I wonder what they’ll mind more... that I’m a merman or that I’m male. // Jimmy huffed.

// Pff... who knows. They’ll probably be too outraged to think about what is worse. // Robert said and shook his head. // By the way... with you swimming back and forth so much, haven’t the authorities caught on to what you’re doing, yet? // 

// Oh. Well. They’ve been asking. But I just told them it’s for the institute, I discovered something that I need to... research. // Jimmy explained. // It wasn’t a lie. // He then added with a cheekily little smile, looking up at Robert.

// Oh, now I’m the science project again! // Robert laughed. His snorkel almost dropped from his mouth as he did and he readjusted it. He tickled Jimmy’s sides, making the merman laugh and twist away from his hands. He looked a lot happier now that they’d talked about it.

// The most exciting science project ever. // He said and placed a kiss on Robert’s jaw. 

// You know, I meant to ask... and I hope this isn’t too inappropriate, but... how would two mermen, you know, make love? // Robert then asked and Jimmy blinked at him. 

// Oh. Well. // He stammered and looked down briefly, before smiling up at the blonde again, shyly. // I’m no expert by any means, but they’d use their hands to pleasure each other or they’d wrap their tails around each other and ‘dance’ like a male and a female would, rubbing against each other. // 

// That sounds beautiful. // Robert said. 

// There’s also this thing... where one of them would, uh, penetrate the other’s, uhm... slit. // Jimmy then said awkwardly, lacking the proper vocabulary, but Robert understood what he meant and bit his lip. 

// That sounds very intimate. // He said and Jimmy nodded. // Do you think... we could do that? // Jimmy’s head snapped up and he stared at Robert wide-eyed for a moment before looking down and fidgeting nervously. 

// I... Uh... I don’t think... it’s just that... // He stammered, his ruffles fluttering and twitching. 

// I didn’t mean to offend you... // Robert said, but Jimmy shook his head. 

// It’s not that, it’s just that... you... your... it’s just... a different shape. It’s so big. The head, I mean. It’s not tapered, like ours. // He finally explained. Of course, with the way a merman’s cock was shaped, with the small, narrow little tip, it’d be easy, but Robert’s just wasn’t like that, it was a regular human cock with a big, blunt head.

// Right. I wouldn’t want to hurt you, it was a stupid idea. // He sighed. He couldn’t help but feel a little sad about that, he would have wanted to be with Jimmy like that, but not if it caused his mate any pain. 

// It’s alright. You made me feel things no other merman, or woman, could, remember? // Jimmy said with a small smile, having caught on to Robert’s feelings. 

// That is true... // Robert grinned. // Hey, not to be a killjoy or to interrupt this very nice conversation, but... would you mind if we sat up? The snorkel is really uncomfortable. // He then said and Jimmy nodded immediately, sitting up. Robert followed and took the snorkel out of his mouth, taking a few deep breaths. 

“Better?” Jimmy asked. 

“Much better.” Robert grinned. “Now that my mouth is no longer occupied by that snorkel... I could use it for other things...” He said, lowering his voice and trailing his fingers up and down Jimmy’s side and his stomach. The merman blushed deeply at that, but moved in closer.

“Yes, please.” He said shyly and kissed the blonde.

// Under one condition! // Robert said through their bond as they kissed. Jimmy pulled back and raised an eyebrow at him. 

“What?” He asked impatiently, making Robert grin. 

“Later, you’ll show me pictures of your pets! We just kept forgetting and I still haven’t seen them!” He complained and Jimmy couldn’t help but laugh.

“Really?? That’s what’s on your mind after offering me sex?” He asked in disbelief, but he was clearly amused, not mad. 

“Well, in the back of my mind.” Robert shrugged and grinned sheepishly. 

“Alright, deal. Might be *much* later, though... it’s been a few days, you know...” Jimmy purred, leaning in closer and kissing Robert heatedly again. The blonde smiled into the kiss and pulled Jimmy closer.


	27. Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Jimmy talk about 'coming out', Jimmy shows him his seahorses, Robert names Jimmy's family and there's a little incident with one of the hatchlings. Robert has to step in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in time for Mermay! I almost didn't manage to post another chapter during this wonderful month, but I made it happen! Enjoy! :)

A few hours later, Jimmy was satisfied and Robert was, well, quite exhausted. Having a merman as a mate was really something else and he’d have to get used to just how demanding he was first, not that he didn’t enjoy it *immensely*. It didn’t seem like he wasn’t able to satisfy his mate, though, so he wasn’t too worried about it, and Jimmy was an incredibly giving lover in turn.

“Did I wear you out or do you still want to see pictures of my pets?” Jimmy asked with an amused smile on his face, propping himself up on his arm to look down at his mate. They had just washed up and gone back to cuddling on their towel. Robert chuckled.

“Never too tired for that.” He said and sat up as Jimmy immediately went to fetch his computer. He reached over to his box and pulled out a bottle of water, having a drink as Jimmy switched on the device and started looking for the pictures he wanted to show him. 

“So, these are the first ones I got...” Jimmy said as he pulled up a picture of two seahorses, just floating in his living room. They didn’t look like much, they were both brown and relatively plain looking, but in a way, Robert thought, they were cute. Maybe because he knew they were Jimmy’s pets and he loved them. 

“They’re cute. Are they difficult to keep?” He asked curiously and Jimmy laughed, then nodded.

“Oh yes. You see, they are very weird animals, they don’t have a very good digestive system, so they have to eat all the time. ALL THE TIME!” He said. “Luckily, we recently developed a kind of food that is easier for them to digest and more nutritious, so they don’t have to eat quite as much.” 

“Wow. I had no idea. Is it even worth it?” Robert asked. 

“Oh of course! Their presence is very calming, I find.” Jimmy explained. 

“Ah, so they’re a little like cats.” The blonde smiled to himself. Jimmy swiped to another picture, this time showing a slightly bigger, green seahorse.

“This is one I got a short time after the first two, isn’t he gorgeous?” He said. 

“Majestic.” Robert chuckled. The little guy held his head high, just like a regular horse would, and he did look quite majestic. Jimmy swiped again and this time, Robert didn’t quite know what exactly he was looking at, but Jimmy groaned, then giggled. The picture was a little blurry and the water seemed to be... dirty? There were many little floating spots all over the picture, he could barely make out the seahorse in it.

“What happened here?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Babies.” Jimmy said with another little groan.

“Babies? What do you mean?” Robert asked, confused.

“I didn’t really have the time, or the mind, to take a picture when this happened, so I only have this blurry one, but... you know, when I bought those seahorses, they were sold to me as two males. So I thought everything was fine. Until one day, this happened.” He said.

He swiped to another picture and there was one of the seahorses with a big belly. 

“See, that’s the father with his belly full of little baby seahorses.” Jimmy laughed. Robert blinked at the picture in confusion, until it dawned on him that all the ‘dirt’ in the previous picture had been... well, babies. Baby seahorses. Hundreds of them. 

“Wait. What?? Did you say... the father?” He stammered, still staring at the screen in disbelief. Jimmy just nodded.

“Yes! Seahorses are special, they are, as far as I know, the only animal that’s like this and the male carries the babies!” He explained. 

“That’s actually... really cool!” Robert exclaimed, then reached out to swipe back to the previous picture. “So... are you trying to tell me that you had... hundreds... thousands... of little baby seahorses in your home?? Because they actually sold you a male and a female instead of two males?” He asked.

“Yes. That’s exactly what happened.” Jimmy sighed. 

“My god... how did you deal with that?? They are so, so tiny!” Robert gasped. 

“It was difficult. Breeders usually have special rooms for them to grow up in, but I didn’t have that, of course.” Jimmy shrugged. “I had to be so careful not to hurt them or to accidentally inhale some of them! I couldn't even be around them at all, at first! Luckily, they don’t need any special care, you just need to feed them... so all I had to do was make sure there was food and to stay away from them until they were big enough.” 

“You must have been so shocked when you found out...” Robert said.

“You have no idea. When I first saw him with his big belly, I thought I did something wrong with the food or something, but then *this* happened, babies everywhere, and I knew exactly what had happened.” He chuckled.

“What did you do with them all?” The human wondered.

“Well, I had to let them grow up first, you know. Then I had to find a home for each and every one of them.” Jimmy sighed. “It wasn’t easy, but I eventually found a spot for all of them but 3. I kept 3 of them.” 

“Wow. That’s just insane. How did you find so many people to give them to??” Robert asked in disbelief.

“Well, it’s a big city with many merpeople... and I was giving them away for free, unlike breeders who sell them.” Jimmy shrugged. Robert nodded, that made sense. 

The next picture didn’t even look like an animal at first, or at least Robert thought it didn’t. It looked like a plant. A bright blue plant with many stems and leaves. When he had a closer look, though, he saw that it was indeed a type of seahorse.

“Wow! That looks crazy! What is that?” He asked excitedly, staring at the screen with wide eyes.

“I think humans call these sea- uhm... dragons?” Jimmy said insecurely, obviously not sure if that was the right name.

“Oh, I’ve heard that before! They look amazing, wow!” Robert said. It was absolutely breathtaking with all those fins and the bright colors. 

“This one was *expensive*.” Jimmy said with a little chuckle. “It’s pretty big, too.” He said, showing him a picture of the dragon swimming right next to Jimmy who was beaming into the camera proudly. It was at least three times the size of the sea horses. 

“I bet this one cost quite a bit, yeah.” Robert nodded. “It looks so delicate, like... paper. Or a flower. I’d be so afraid to hurt it, accidentally swat it with my tail or something.” He mused.

“Well, you gotta be a little careful around them, sure, but it’s not that big a deal.” Jimmy grinned. “They’re not the best swimmers, so they usually just float around or cling to whatever they can find with their tails.”

“That’s odd, they live in the ocean and aren’t good swimmers??” Robert shook his head.

“I told you they’re weird creatures. That’s what makes them so lovable!” He argued. 

“I guess.” Robert laughed. 

“I’ve been thinking about bringing them up here. They could live here in this lake with me, and you.” Jimmy said thoughtfully. 

“Hm, if you want to, why not? If they can live up here. The more at home you feel, the better.” Robert said. “Of course, your real home is still down there, but...”

“Let’s be honest, it’s really up here, now.” Jimmy cut him off with a sigh. “I will never be able to live down there again, because *you* will never be able to live there. I can live up here, though, so this is where I’ll stay.” He said. Robert looked down and sighed.

“I guess. I... I’m sorry.” He said, feeling guilty. Jimmy put his computer on his lap and took Robert’s hands in his own.

“Don’t feel bad about this. You know that I love it here.” He said and squeezed them reassuringly. 

“Yeah. I just wished... it wasn’t so hard and that your family wasn’t so far away.” Robert sighed.

“It’s not further away than yours, is it? You’d have to drive for a few hours to see them, too. You haven’t even seen your family in weeks and I have seen mine almost every day! I promise, I’m fine.” Jimmy said. 

“I miss them.” Robert admitted. “Talking to them on the phone just isn’t the same.” He sighed. 

“Go see them?” Jimmy suggested.

“I want to, but... they’d ask so many questions and I wouldn’t know how to explain everything. They’d try to make me move back to Birmingham.” He shrugged. “I just wish this was a completely normal thing, I wish everybody knew about merpeople and it wasn’t such a big deal.” He added and Jimmy glanced up at him before looking down at the sand and starting to draw some patterns into it. 

“Well... with how suspicious the city guards are getting about me leaving all the time and being gone for such a long time... it won’t be long until they find out.” He admitted. “We’ll have to come clean at some point. My family has been able to sneak past them for the most part, but... it’s difficult and dangerous.”

“Are you saying we should risk it and... come out? Tell other merpeople about us?” Robert asked. He wanted nothing more than that, but he was afraid, too. 

“Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve been talking to Benjamin, and he thinks we have no choice. We need the help of other merpeople so that I can live up here and have everything I need. Especially if we want that house up there and the basement you want to build. Especially if we want... hatchlings, one day.” Jimmy shrugged.

“What about humans, though? I want... I want to tell my parents about you. I want them to meet you.” Robert sighed. Lying to his parents was hard enough, but he just really wanted his parents to meet the love of his life, merman or not. Jimmy looked up at him and smiled wistfully.

“I understand. But... let’s take this slowly. Let’s see how our government reacts to you, first, alright? I don’t even know what to expect and I’m terrified... but I doubt they’ll do anything drastic.” He said. “There will be interrogations, it won’t be easy... but I also know that my family won’t let them try to separate us. They’d fight for us should they try anything.” 

“I know they would.” Robert smiled. “We just need to convince them that I mean no harm, that I’m a good person... that most humans are, really. Sure, some are awful, but as a whole... I think we can be good.” He added thoughtfully.

“I think so, too.” Jimmy said with a little smile and reached up to caress Robert’s cheek gently. “I think you are just like us. Not black and white. Not good or bad. Just... people. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, most of the time... somewhere in between.” Robert blinked at him in wonder.

“You know, sometimes you sound wise beyond your years.” He said softly and leaned in to kiss his mate gently, then rested his forehead against Jimmy’s. “So, what’s the plan?” He asked. Jimmy seemed to think about it for a moment.

“I need to talk to my family and Benjamin and... uhm. You know who.” He said, slightly confused. 

“Damn. He really needs to get his ass up here so I can give him a name. You know what? He looks like a John. His name is going to be John. John Paul.” Robert decided, getting fed up with neither of them knowing how to refer to Jimmy’s friend that also worked at the institute. Jimmy laughed. 

“I like that. I’m sure he would love it, too.” He said. 

“I meant to ask you... I really need to give everyone in your family a human name, too. Do you think they’d be alright with that? Even the hatchlings?” Robert asked insecurely, hoping he wasn’t overstepping a boundary or something. 

“I don’t see why they would mind.” Jimmy said. “But you could ask them yourself tomorrow. My father wrote me a message earlier that they’re coming over tomorrow.” He added. “I mean, I’ll ask them for you, of course, since they still don’t understand you.” 

“Right. The little ones are picking it up *really* quickly, though!” Robert said. He was impressed, every time the hatchlings were over, he taught them a few new words and they always seemed to remember them quickly. 

“They are! You’ll soon have a bunch of merpeople to talk to!” Jimmy laughed. “Have you already thought of names for them?” He then asked curiously, but Robert just smiled mysteriously.

“Hmm, maybe I have...” I grinned, then laughed out loud when the merman tickled him.

“Tell me!” He demanded, but Robert fought of his hands and grinned at him again.

“No way! You’re gonna wait until I can tell them, too!” He said and Jimmy pouted at him. “Don’t look at me like that, you’re gonna be patient!” Of course, his mate was stubborn and continued to try to tickle him, so Robert could only do the same to him and they ended up in a laughing, giggling, gasping pile, but in the end, the human won, Jimmy would have to wait. Happily, they cuddled up together and settled for the night, Robert pulled the blanket they kept in the cave over them and held his mate close.

He got a little nervous when the time came for Jimmy’s family to arrive the next day. He hoped they wouldn’t be offended and that they’d like the human names he picked for them. Once they were there, he greeted them all and cuddled the hatchlings that came to him immediately, well, every one of them except for the more shy little boy who stayed with his dad. Robert smiled at him and waved, making him giggle and hide behind Dad’s large tail fin before peeping at him again and waving back. 

“So, there’s something Robert would like to ask you.” Jimmy said after a while and Robert knew he was translating simultaneously in his head through their family bond. He looked over at him and nodded, telling him that way that it was alright to go ahead.

“Uhm, well...” Robert stammered, nervous, and swallowed. “I, err... I wanted to ask you all if it’s alright with you if I gave... if I gave each one of you a human name?” He finally asked, looking at them to see their reaction. 

The adults just looked at each other with big eyes and Robert could almost *sense* the telepathic conversation going on between them. The hatchlings, though, immediately started making all kinds of excited little sounds, they clapped their little hands in delight and the shy little boy even gave Robert a big, happy smile. Jimmy’s father then surprised him by turning towards him and smiling at him as well. He paused for a moment, opened his mouth as if to say something, then paused again, smiling apologetically before looking at his son. 

“Yes.” He then said, looking back at Robert and nodding. The blonde couldn’t help but grin widely, they had all been so reluctant and so shy about even trying to speak on land, so this was the first word Jimmy’s Dad had ever said to him. His sisters and his Mom had been a little less shy and he’d gotten a few sounds out of them at times, but they felt very self-conscious about it nevertheless.

“Thank you!” Robert said, knowing the merpeople wouldn’t even need a translation for that, they’d heard him say that so often, they knew what it meant. 

“Uncy Wobit, name!” The little girl that had been the first to come to Robert then said impatiently, crawling over to him. The human couldn’t help it, he just melted and picked her up, giving her a little cuddle.

“Alright, let’s start with you, then, shall we?” He said gently, brushing some unruly hair out of her eyes so he could look at her. Everybody listened intently, curious to find out what her name would be. “Your name is... Marlene.” 

The little one blinked up at him with big eyes, then giggled happily and thrust her little arms up in the air, cheering.

“Marmeen! Marmeen!” She squealed excitedly. Robert laughed and took a moment to get her to say her own name correctly, which she only managed after she calmed down a little. 

“Now, who’s next?” Robert asked and almost immediately, the little boy that always seemed to be competing with Marlene raised his hand, then came over to him. When he had first seen the kids, Robert had been sure that both boys had their father’s blue coloring, but it turned out that this one had Jimmy’s green colors. Robert hadn’t been able to see that at first, in the water, since their colors weren’t as bright as the adults, yet. It was quite fitting, this little boy was just as curious and brave as Jimmy. Gently, he picked the little boy up, smiling at him.

“You are Cyrus.” He said. He was still a little worried that they wouldn’t like their names, but the boy nodded happily and smiled up at him. He struggled a little with saying it, but after a few attempts, it seemed to work out just fine. 

When Robert asked who’s next, the two girls that always hung out together both raised their hands at the same time. Robert was surprised these two weren’t actually attached at the hip, they might as well be. He’d never seen one without the other.

“Your names are Bailey...” He nodded at the one on the left, “... and Vivien.” He nodded at the one on the right. They looked at each other and slowly repeated each other’s names to the other, apparently pleased with them as well. 

Last, but definitely not least, was the shy little boy that took after his father, at least when it came to his color. Robert knew he wouldn’t let him pick him up, so he refrained, but he reached out for him to take his hand if he wanted to. To his surprise, he reached out and put his little hand on Robert’s index finger shyly.

“Your name is Finn.” Robert said gently. He couldn’t help but smile when the boy’s features lit up like a christmas tree, he obviously liked his new name as well. “Now it’s your parents turn, don’t you think?” Robert asked. He had to wait for Jimmy to translate, but then the hatchlings nodded excitedly, while their parents looked at him curiously.

“Your names are Amanda and Tom.” He told them. Jimmy’s sister nodded, as did her mate. Unlike the hatchlings, they didn’t dare to try and repeat their new names back to him, but that was alright, they’d need some time. 

“Did you think of names for my parents, too?” Jimmy asked. He was smiling widely, he actually looked incredibly happy and touched. Robert nodded, but then he had to ask the hatchlings to quiet down a little. They were still saying their new names, over and over again, learning them and getting used to them. 

“I did.” He said and turned to them. “Your Mom’s name is Patricia. Your Dad... well, your Dad’s name is James. Jimmy is a diminutive of James, so it would make sense for you to be named after him.” Robert explained. Jimmy was silent for a moment, apparently translating for his family, then leaned in to give Robert a little hug. 

// They are very happy with their new human names. Thank you so much. They are absolutely wonderful. // Jimmy told him through their bond and pecked his cheek. // The hatchlings are *extatic* about their names, look at them, they won’t stop chattering... // He added, smiling as he watched the little ones. 

// Do you like them? I did my best to find fitting names for them. // Robert said.

// I do like them. They are perfect, especially the ones for the hatchlings, they fit them so well. // Jimmy said. 

They continued to sit together, talking with Jimmy’s help. Robert taught the hatchlings a few more words and helped them practice the ones they already knew. After a while, they went off to play and the adults enjoyed some food together. Robert shared what he had with the merpeople and they shared their food with him. 

After a while, Robert noticed Amanda looking around worriedly and he noticed that they were one hatchling short. 

“Where is Cyrus?” He wondered, getting up to have a better look around the cave. He couldn’t see his little green tail anywhere, there was no sign of him. He noticed Tom getting into the lake to look for him there, but then Amanda made a startled sound. When he turned around to look at her, he saw her pointing up towards the roof of the cave. 

“Fuck.” Robert couldn’t help but curse. Somehow, little Cyrus had managed to climb on a ledge along the wall of the cave and now he looked like he was stuck. He couldn’t climb further and he couldn’t come down, either. He looked like he was trying to keep it together, but when he noticed all the adults and his siblings staring up at him, he started crying. He was scared. A sudden movement made him slip off the rock a little and he clung to another little ledge with his hands.

“Jimmy, tell him I’m coming for him.” Robert said as he hurried towards the wall Cyrus had climbed. It was quite far up, but Robert supposed he could get there. He started climbing, but it wasn’t easy. Cyrus had managed just fine because he was so small and didn’t weigh much, but the little ledges kept breaking away under Robert’s feet. 

Cyrus had started crying more and it took Robert a little longer to get up to him, but eventually, he managed to get on a ledge just below where the hatchling was. He couldn’t get up any higher, there was nowhere for him to step or hold on to.

“Cyrus... you have to move closer to the edge, I can’t reach you.” Robert said, hoping Jimmy would just translate for him through the family bond. The hatchling was completely frozen by now, not moving an inch. “Sweetheart, trust me, I won’t let you fall...” Robert cooed, but he wasn’t moving. 

Cursing inwardly, Robert put his foot on a very brittle looking part of the rock to get a little higher and reached out with his free hand to get a hold of the hatchling. He got a hold of his little arm and pulled gently.

“Can you climb on my shoulder?” He asked. Once Jimmy had translated, the little boy leaned in a little, peeking over his ledge, then quickly shook his head. “You have to try. I promise I’ll catch you if you fall.” Robert said. 

Bit by bit, inch by inch, Cyrus crawled closer to Robert. The human was acutely aware of the other merpeople watching, terrified something was going to happen to the little one. He didn’t dare to look down, but he thought he saw someone coming towards the wall of the cave, just in case. Probably Tom, the little one’s father. 

Robert guided the hatchling with his free hand, the one he wasn’t using to keep his balance and hold on to the wall, but when Cyrus had almost made it to Robert’s shoulder, he slipped. 

Amanda screamed, Robert felt Jimmy’s fear through their bond even as he quickly reached out to grab the hatchling, reacting faster than he’d ever believed possible. He only had the one arm to grab him with, but Cyrus held on to his arm as well as Robert quickly pulled him back against his own body. 

The sudden movement and the additional weight had made the brittle little ledge Robert had been standing up break away from under his feet and the blonde hissed sharply as he fell down a few feet, scraping his knees and shins on the rock. Luckily, they didn’t fall far and Robert landed safely, but it hurt, nevertheless. He felt another surge of fear through the bond he shared with Jimmy, followed by a wave of relief when he didn’t fall all the way down. 

// Are you alright? // Jimmy asked through their bond. 

“Yeah... I’m ok.” Robert called down, too shaken to even use the telepathic speech. He took a deep breath and looked down at the little boy clinging to his shirt. “OK?” He asked him. Cyrus didn’t react at first, his eyes were closed firmly and he had a vice grip on the shirt, but then he looked up, looked around, realized that they were both fine, and nodded. 

“Alright, hold on to my shirt, I’ll need both hands to climb down.” Robert said and waited for Jimmy to translate for the little boy again. Once he was sure he was holding on tightly, he slowly let go of him and started to climb down the rest of the way, luckily without any further incidents. 

He gave the crying hatchling to Tom who hugged him tightly, utterly relieved that he was fine, but Robert was sure that he was gonna tell him off later, making sure he’d never do that again. He slowly sat down next to them, leaning against the rock, and took a few deep breaths. Only then did he realize how much his legs hurt and he looked down, cringing. 

It was summer, he’d only been wearing shorts, so his legs looked pretty rough, dirty and bloody where he’d scraped against the rock. It burnt and stung and Robert just hoped it wouldn’t get infected. 

He looked up when he noticed the other merpeople coming closer and watched Tom pass Cyrus over to Amanda who hugged him tightly enough to make him squeak. Tom looked at him and nodded. He didn’t have the words, but Robert knew that he was thanking him for saving his son’s life. 

Jimmy was there, too, right next to him, and gently put his hand on top of Robert’s. He looked worried as he looked down at the man’s legs.

“Mom is a doctor... but we have no supplies here to clean the wounds and bandage them.” He said slowly. 

“There’s a first aid kit in my car.” Robert said. “I’ll go get it.”

“What? You can’t!” Jimmy gasped. “I’ll go get it!” He said and Robert raised an eyebrow. 

“Jimmy, I’m alright. It’s just a few scratches, I can walk just fine.” He said. “In the time it’d take you to get to my car, find the kit, and get back, I’ll definitely get an infection. Not to mention how dangerous it is for you to be out there.” He added. In all honesty, it felt like way more than just a few scratches, but there was no other way. He noticed Jimmy turning towards his Mom.

“Mom says she has a few things in her bag, together with your kit it should be sufficient.” Jimmy said. He still looked like he wanted to argue, like he didn’t want to let Robert leave, but he knew that his mate was right, it was the only way. So he got up on his aching legs, limped over towards the box he kept their belongings in, took out his flashlight and made his way through the tunnel to his car. He found the kit as well as some painkillers in the car. Walking hurt, so he hurried as much as he could and made his way back.

When he came back, the merpeople had set up a fresh towel right next to the lake and Patricia had taken a few things from her bag to help her deal with the wounds. Robert cringed when he realized that she was probably going to rinse them with salt water. He grabbed a bottle of water before going to sit with them and quickly swallowed two of the painkillers, just in case. 

Jimmy came to hold him as his mother started to work on the wounds and scratches, using some of her things as well as some bandages and band aids from Robert’s kit. She was so gentle and efficient, working quickly and carefully, Robert immediately felt that he was well taken care of. He had no idea what she was doing, but after cleaning the wounds, she put some sort of salve on them that numbed the pain almost right away and he sighed in relief. 

“She says she doesn’t know too much about human legs, but nothing seems broken or something.” Jimmy said with a little smile. 

“I didn’t fall too far, so there shouldn’t be. My ankle hurts a little, but it’s not bad. Probably just sprained.” He said. Jimmy must have told Patricia what he said, because she looked at his ankle next. It seemed to be just a little swollen. She took an odd looking, thick bandage out of her bag and started wrapping it around his ankle. Robert jumped when it became ice cold immediately. 

“Don’t worry, it’s just a cooling bandage, it’ll reduce swelling.” Jimmy explained. 

“Merpeople technology, huh?” Robert wondered. He’d never seen a bandage that just cooled things by itself. “That’s pretty neat.” 

“Are you feeling better?” Jimmy asked and Robert nodded, smiling at him.

“Much better.” He confirmed. “Thank you so much.” He then said to Patricia, who just smiled at him and reached out to take his hand. 

“We should be thanking you. You saved his life.” Jimmy translated.

“Well, I’m the only one who could have helped him, right? Your tails are way too long for climbing, you wouldn’t have made it up there, unlike him. I couldn’t have left him up there! Poor thing was so scared.” He said. 

“Let’s just hope he’s going to learn from his mistake. He should have known that he can’t just climb there on land, gravity is a lot different up here, he could have fallen.” Jimmy sighed. 

“Oh. Right. Do you think he just forgot that he can’t just swim away from up there?” Robert wondered.

“Maybe. Who knows what was going on in his little head.” Jimmy shrugged. 

Exhausted, Robert sank into Jimmy’s arms, all the excitement of the day was getting to him, he was *tired*. He was just glad that Cyrus was fine and so was his family, they all took the time to thank him, giving him hugs. The other hatchlings had been quite shaken by what had happened, even Marlene who didn’t seem to be scared of anything, but Robert knew they’d all be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this one, I am SO BAD at naming characters, but these came surprisingly easy. :)
> 
> Some of you will have seen it on Tumblr already, but Marauderofworlds actually named Marlene and Cyrus! She also drew some lovely artwork with some of the hatchlings and Robert holding them, you should definitely check it out on her blog!
> 
> https://marauderofworlds.tumblr.com/
> 
> The artwork:
> 
> https://marauderofworlds.tumblr.com/post/619004598835920896/just-in-time-for-mermay-robert-and-the-merbabies


	28. Interruption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Jimmy have some unexpected and not exactly welcome visitors from the mer-city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> " ... " is normal speech
> 
> // ... // is telepathic communication
> 
> You guys, I am SO sorry for the long break, but just did not have any inspiration! But I am back, with a short chapter for now, but of course, there will be more! Enjoy!

A splash of water, a hissing sound, and suddenly, Robert found himself at the business end of some kind of merpeople weapon. Instinctively, he raised his hands above his head, startled and scared, staring at the four merpeople in front of him with wide eyes. They all had an aggressive look on their faces and the ruffles along their tails were flared sharply, just like he’d seen Jimmy do it to scare away fish.

Jimmy screeched, momentarily forgetting he couldn’t speak mertongue on land, and it took all of Robert’s willpower not to lower his hands and cover his ears. Luckily, Jimmy realized what he was doing and shut his mouth, frantically pointing at the water.

// What is happening, Jimmy? Who are they? // Robert asked.

// City guards. // The merman answered. He now had one of those futuristic looking weapons pointed at him as well, but the guard holding it pointed at the water as well and nodded. Following Jimmy’s every movement, he let him get into the water and followed him, along with another one of the guards, leaving Robert with two of them on land. 

He had no idea how that weapon worked or what it would do to him if they decided to use it, so he just stayed still, hoping that they weren’t going to hurt Jimmy. He could see them in the lake, still pointing those things at his mate, but they were talking, he could faintly hear the beautiful sounds of the merpeople’s language, even on land. 

Through the bond, he felt that Jimmy was just as terrified as him, maybe even more so, but at least he could talk to the guards. Robert’s arms were getting tired, so he started to slowly lower them, making sure not to move too quickly and to keep them visible for the guards. They again made that hissing sound at him and poked their weapons towards him, but Robert just rested his hands on his legs. 

He forced himself to smile at them, to show them that he meant no harm, and once again he was bothered by the fact that he had no better way to communicate with them. They did not smile back at him, but they did seem to relax just a little, allowing him to lower his arms.

Of course they both knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, but neither of them had expected it to happen so quickly, or this violently. He didn’t like how they didn’t even give them a chance to talk to them on the same level, they just barged in, weapons drawn and at the ready. 

Jimmy and him had just been sitting by the shore of their lake in the cave, Jimmy’s tail in the water, Robert’s feet as well, talking and enjoying the cool water, when they had been so rudely interrupted by the guards. Now, Robert’s thoughts were spinning, what was going to happen, were they going to hurt them? Were they going to kill them, even, to make sure nobody could tell other humans about the existence of merpeople? He tried to suppress his fear and stay calm.

Having nothing else to do but wait for Jimmy to finish talking to them, Robert couldn’t help but study the guards. The ones keeping an eye on him where a male and a female, they both looked incredibly strong and muscular, their long hair tied back or braided. They were both wearing the same ribbons around their arms with a very official looking emblem as well as some sort of utility belt around their waist with more weapons and several electronic devices Robert didn’t recognize. 

// They want to take me back to the city to interrogate me. // Jimmy told him through the bond a short while later. 

// Well... it’s not like you can refuse... // Robert said. // Will you be fine? //

// Of course. If they wanted to kill us to make sure no more humans know about merpeople, they would have done so already. They seem to want to give me a chance to explain, at least. // Jimmy answered. That made sense, Robert thought.

// Is there anything I can do? // He asked. 

// For now, no. // Jimmy said. Robert could tell he was still terrified, but there was a hint of hope, as well, he thought. 

// Let me know what’s happening, alright? Don’t just go quiet on me, please. // The blonde asked. To his surprise, Jimmy came out of the water, the two other guards poked their heads out of the water as well. 

“I won’t. I promise.” Jimmy said and slowly crawled over to him. Robert watched the two guards in the water nod at the other two on land and they lowered their weapons, much to Robert’s relief. “I’ll tell you what they’ve decided and what they’re doing. Don’t worry, they are not going to hurt me.”

Robert blinked at Jimmy as he leaned in to kiss him. It felt odd, kissing right in front of the guards that had been pointing their weapons at them for the past few minutes, but maybe Jimmy wanted them to see that, maybe he wanted to make a point, so Robert humored him and kissed him back. The guards let it all happen and when they pulled back, Robert looked at them to find an odd look on their faces. He couldn’t quite tell if it was outrage, disgust or something else, but they also looked intrigued. 

“What are you going to tell them?” Robert asked, looking back at his mate. Jimmy shrugged.

“The truth. What am I supposed to say? Being honest is the only thing that’s going to work, in this case.” He said. 

“Right.” Robert sighed. “Alright. Be safe. I love you.” He then added, noticing the guards getting impatient. He leaned in for another quick kiss. 

“I love you, too.” Jimmy said, hugging him tightly before going back into the water. The two guards followed him and soon, they were all gone, leaving Robert alone in the cave. A part of him worried that he was never going to see his mate again, another part of him was hoping that things were going to change for the better and they wouldn’t have to hide anymore.


	29. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Jimmy are, unfortunately, separated, but thanks to their bond they can still communicate. Jimmy has to convince the merpeople that humans are not a threat. It's not that easy, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // ... // telepathic speech

Robert was at a loss, he just didn’t know what to do, he felt utterly useless and helpless. He couldn’t do anything to help Jimmy, he couldn’t talk to the merpeople, all he could do was wait. 

After sitting in the cave for a while, just staring at the surface of the lake, as if Jimmy would come back any second, he decided to go home. He packed things up, put everything neatly into the big storage box he kept in the cave, then picked up his flashlight (not that he really needed it anymore, it was like he knew the cave and the tunnel like the back of his hand) and headed to his car.

A part of him was still afraid he was never going to see Jimmy again, but on the other hand he knew that the merpeople wouldn’t kill one of their own, and keeping Jimmy away from him was, eventually, going to kill him, no matter how strong their bond was now. 

At home, he flopped down on his bed and, after a moment of consideration, switched on the TV. Might as well see what’s going on in the real world, he thought, as he absentmindedly watched the news. Looking at the clock, he wondered if Jimmy and the guards had made it to the city yet. 

He’d watched them leave, and while they hadn’t put his mate in handcuffs or anything, they’d stayed very close to him, on either side of him, ready to draw their weapons should he try to escape. It had both scared and worried him, even though he trusted Jimmy not to try anything crazy. 

After not having heard from his mate in quite a few hours, Robert decided to try and check in with him. He’d felt certain things through the bond, of course, emotions like fear, apprehension, nervousness, but nothing specific, Jimmy seemed to keep the connection mostly closed, as much as he could at least. He was sure they hadn’t hurt Jimmy, though, he most definitely would have felt that. 

// Hey... how are you holding up? // Robert sent through the bond, and it took a moment for Jimmy to answer.

// Still being interrogated.... I’m fine, though. // He told him. He sounded exhausted. Robert closed his eyes and sent a wave of all the positive emotions he could muster through the bond, smiling slightly when Jimmy sent something along the same lines right back. He decided to leave him alone for now so he could focus on the interrogation. 

It was getting late, really late, and Robert was a little worried that this was too much for Jimmy, too taxing, them interrogating him for so, so long, but he also knew Jimmy was strong. He’d be fine, he told himself. 

A few hours later, he felt like something changed through the bond, although he couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly that was. It took another half an hour for Jimmy to finally talk to him.

// Well... we are done for today. // He said slowly, and he sounded even more exhausted now. Completely drained. 

// How did it go? What did they say? // Robert asked immediately, worried to no end. 

// They made me tell them everything. How we met... what we talked about, how we fell in love. // Jimmy sighed. // They asked... very intimate questions. I did not like that. // He admitted. 

// I’m so sorry you have to go through this... // Robert huffed. // Where are you now? // He asked and again, it took Jimmy a moment to answer, but this time because he was hesitating. Was he trying to lie to Robert? 

// I... I’m alright, I’m... uh... // He hesitated again, then he seemed to take a deep breath and continued. // I’m in a cell. // 

// They’re keeping you in a cell? // Robert frowned. Of course, he should have expected that, but hearing it from his mate, like that, still scared him. He started imagining all sorts of scenarios, his poor mate in a tiny cell, curled up on the bare floor, hungry and cold. He couldn’t quite keep his feelings from seeping through the bond. 

// It’s alright, Robert. I have everything I need. I have a comfortable bed, they gave me good food, they’re not treating me badly, I promise. // Jimmy reassured him. // They even said they’ll let me go home tomorrow after another interrogation. //

// Really? // Robert asked in disbelief.

// Yes. Well. There will be guards and I will only be allowed to leave my home if I have to buy food or other necessities, but... at least I’ll be home. // Jimmy explained. 

// That’s good... // Robert mused, although he didn’t like the idea of guards watching Jimmy’s every move. // Is your family going to be in trouble, too? //

// Yes. // Jimmy said and this time, Robert felt a wave of fear and sorrow through the bond. // They went to the surface and interacted with humans as well. //

// Fuck. They’re treating you like criminals! // Robert cursed and clenched his fists. 

// Robert. That’s because we are. I am. I broke so many of our laws. // Jimmy said sadly.

// But... you never meant to hurt anyone, you didn’t have any bad intentions! // The blonde argued. 

// Of course I didn’t. But it’s not about my intentions. I endangered our entire species. // Jimmy explained.

// I get that, I just... I wish... I don’t know... // Robert stammered. He couldn’t believe how helpless and useless he was. There was absolutely nothing he could do and it was driving him crazy. // Do you know what your sentence is going to be, then? // He asked. If Jimmy was considered a criminal, they’d sentence him to prison or something, right? Or worse, he thought. 

// No. I have no idea. I don’t know the law very well, to be honest, and this has never happened before, so they don’t quite know what to do with me, either, I think. We’ll just have to wait and see, hope for the best. // Jimmy said.

// Are they going to let me see you again? // Robert then asked. This had been the one thing that worried him the most of all. That they’d never let them meet again, despite how that would hurt Jimmy and eventually kill him. // They have to, right? It’d kill you, eventually, if they didn’t! //

// I don’t know, Robert. I think so, though. They wouldn’t let me die. They can’t do that. It would be against the law as well, wouldn’t it? Knowingly letting another merperson die would be like... murder. // Jimmy mused. 

// Exactly. // Robert answered, relieved that Jimmy seemed to think so as well and that he didn’t believe they’d do that to him. 

// I told them all about you, about us. I told them how you came to help me when you first saw me... I just need them to know that humans aren’t evil. I need them to see what you are really like. // Jimmy said. 

// You’ll manage. I believe in you. Maybe you can convince them to let you come up here again, and have some of them come along? Just to see what it’s like. // Robert suggested.

// Maybe... // Jimmy said sleepily.

// Poor darling... you’re all exhausted. You should try to get some sleep. // Robert said gently. 

// I should. I don’t know if I can. // Jimmy sighed. // This isn’t home. Or up there with you. But I’ll try. //

// Well, if you can’t sleep, I’m here for you. We can talk. Just give me a nudge. // Robert said. // I love you. We’ll get through this. We’ve come so far, we can’t give now. We just can’t. //

// We won’t. I love you, too. So much. // Jimmy sent back in reply.

// Sleep, sweetheart. It’s going to be alright. // Robert cooed soothingly and slowly, he felt Jimmy’s presence in his mind getting a little weaker, bit by bit, a sure sign that he was falling asleep. He got out of bed, went to take a shower and brush his teeth, and went right back to bed, finally going to sleep as well. It had been an incredibly exhausting day, even for the human. 

He briefly talked to Jimmy over breakfast the next day, giving him some encouraging words, before starting his day. He’d decided to start working his ass off, doing the best he can to impress his employers, so he could, one day, make their dream of their own house with a basement incorporated into the cave, come true. 

It was late afternoon when the merman contacted him again, and this time, he seemed excited.

// Robert! They’ll let me see you! The day after tomorrow, they’ll escort me to the surface and we can meet! // He babbled quickly. Robert breathed a sigh of relief, so things were apparently going well down there. He signed the invoice he’d just finished and put it in an envelope, added the stamp and tossed it towards the pile of other invoiced he was sending out for the hotel today.

// That’s great! I can’t wait to see you, I miss you like crazy. // He sighed. 

// I miss you, too! There will be guards, but... at least we get to meet! // Jimmy said, still excited. 

// Are you still in the cell or did they let you go home? // Robert asked.

// I’m still here, but they’re escorting me home later. They just have to finish some paperwork. // Jimmy explained. // Well, computerwork, really. // He giggled, then. Robert couldn't help but smile at how giddy and relieved Jimmy seemed now. It felt good. 

// That’s great. I’m so glad things seem to be going well. // He said.

// Now we just need to convince them that humans aren’t so bad at all! // Jimmy said. // That won’t be easy, if at all possible... // He then sighed, losing some his elan. 

// We’ll see. Let’s just take it one day at a time. Until then, I’ll make sure to do the best job I possibly can, so I can ‘inherit’ this hotel... // Robert chuckled. 

// I believe in you. // Jimmy said. // Well... Let’s talk later, when we’re both at home, then. And I’ll see you the day after tomorrow! //

// Later, baby. // Robert answered and turned back to the job at hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm not updating as frequently, my darlings! I promise I'm doing my best, but inspiration has evaded me, recently! :( So I write whenever I can.
> 
> But here's a new chapter for you, enjoy! :)


	30. Girls!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jimmy is back home in the mer-city and Robert is working hard to achieve his dream up on the surface. Back at the cave, Robert has two very curious, unexpected visitors. He needs Jimmy's help to keep them safe, which requires him to use merpeople technology. It's not easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // ... // is telepathic speech  
"..." is regular speech
> 
> Enjoy!

// I’m at home! // Jimmy happily squealed through their bond a few hours later. 

// I’m so glad to hear that, sweetheart. // Robert answered. // I have some good news myself! // He added.

// Oh? Really? Do tell! // The merman said excitedly.

// Well, it’s nothing huge but... the owners of the hotel, they invited me over for dinner this evening. That’s gotta be a good thing, right? // The blonde said. 

// You must be doing a good job! // Jimmy replied. // They like you! // 

// I think so. They did say they are very happy with what I’ve done so far. // Robert mused.

He had been hired to take care of the hotel’s finances and, if he had the time for it, do some other little things here and there, basically being a bit of a ‘manager’, but he’d done everything he could, doing the best he can, to impress them. 

He’d tweaked some of the prices of the hotel, both the rooms and the restaurant, he’d found better suppliers for the kitchen that offered slightly better prices, he’d even struck up an amazing deal on some new furniture for some of the rooms that really, really needed it. He’d charmed the supplier into giving them quite the discount and the owners had been very impressed (and quite relieved, as they had been worried about the expenses of upgrading the rooms). 

// I’m proud of you. // Jimmy said and let Robert feel just that through the bond. 

// Thank you. I’m actually glad about the invitation, spending the evening with them is going to keep my mind off of how much I miss you. Well, at least a little. // Robert sighed.

Being apart from his mate was actually getting quite irritating, the constant longing he felt, it almost felt like he was being drawn towards the ocean, towards where Jimmy was, but there was nothing he could do about that for now. He wondered how the merman felt, being much more sensitive to things like that. 

// I know, it’s bad, isn’t it? // Jimmy sighed. // I feel it, too. It’s going to start driving me insane soon. Luckily they’re going to let me see you, I can’t wait. // He added.

// Luckily. // Robert mused. // Do you have something to keep your mind off of things until then? // 

// Oh. Well. I don’t know if they’re going to let my family visit me... but I can call them and we can see each other using our computers. Other than that, I have my pets and I can watch TV, listen to music or read things, like books or on our social networks. I can keep busy. // Jimmy explained. 

It occurred to Robert that merpeople had way more things to keep themselves entertained than humans did, with their computers. He’d seen Jimmy use the one he brought to the cave, there were so many things to do with it, he could watch movies, he could play games, he could take and edit pictures, he could talk to other merpeople with it, he could write things and he could make art with it, he could even make music with it. It was mind blowing to the human, that this small device could do so many things.

// That’s good. You can always talk to me, too, if you need me, right? // Robert suggested.

// Of course. I just don’t want to distract you while you have dinner with your employers, that might be weird, if you get all zoned out because you’re talking to me. // Jimmy said, slightly amused at the thought.

// Right. Maybe not this evening, then. // Robert chuckled. // I think I’ll spend some time in the cave tomorrow, somehow I already miss it even though it hasn’t been that long since I’ve been there. And it’s a little bit closer to where you are. // 

// True. // Jimmy said. // You could play guitar and sing for a bit. // 

// Yeah! Why not! // Robert agreed. // Hm. I gotta figure out what to wear to dinner, I want to leave a good impression... // He mused.

// I’d give you advice, but clothes really aren’t my strong suit. // Jimmy said and Robert felt a wave of amusement through their bond.

// Was that a pun? My god, you’re really getting good at this! // Robert said, delighted. Just about three months ago, Jimmy’s english had been very, very limited, and now, there he was, starting to make puns. Robert actually felt quite proud of his mate. 

// I am! // Jimmy agreed, obviously quite proud of himself as well. // Are clothes really that important to humans? // He then asked.

// Well, yes. Clothes can mean a lot. If I show up in super tight jeans and an open blouse, it’d be totally inappropriate, it would just look like I’m trying to seduce someone. // Robert laughed. // If I show up in some less revealing, but sloppy clothes, it would look like I don’t care. If I show up in a full suit, it might look like I’m trying too hard! // 

// Really? Huh. Humans are weird. // Jimmy said thoughtfully. 

// Don’t you guys have customs like that?? // Robert asked as he opened his wardrobe, staring at his clothes and trying to decide what to wear. // I should probably pick up some flowers for the lady and a bottle of wine to go with dinner, it’s only polite... // He added, more to himself than to his mate.

// We do, of course, but it’s more about behaviour and certain gestures, like the gifts you just mentioned. // Jimmy agreed. // For us it’s like... if the gift you’re bringing isn’t thoughtful enough, you end up looking like you don’t even know the people you’re visiting, and that’s very rude, so you want to make sure it’s fitting. // 

// Right... That would probably be a little too personal, for humans. // Robert thought. He picked up a pair of dark slacks and the most neutral looking shirt he owned, starting to put it on. 

// I hope you have a good time at their home. I’ll take some pictures of the seahorses and my home and send them to my computer that I left in the cave so you can look at them tomorrow when you get there. // Jimmy said. Robert laughed.

// I have no idea how to use that thing! // He said, shaking his head. 

// I’ll tell you, don’t worry. It’s not that hard. // Jimmy said soothingly. 

// You should send me a picture of you, too, so I don’t forget what you look like. // Robert chuckled. 

// Come on, it hasn’t been *that* long! // Jimmy giggled. // But maybe I will! // 

// Well, I gotta go, they’re expecting me at 7 and I gotta go get those flowers and the wine, so... I’ll talk to you later or tomorrow? // He said. He could continue to talk to Jimmy as he went about his business, but talking through the bond still required quite a bit of focus on his part and he didn’t want to end up taking too long or zoning out while he was trying to buy things. Or walking into a street lamp.

// Ok! I love you. // Jimmy said. 

// Love you, too. // Robert answered before leaving the house.

Dinner was a rather pleasant affair, Robert actually enjoyed spending time with the older couple, food was delicious, the conversation flowed easily and they all had a good time. He learned a few more things about his employers that might be useful in getting on their good side and building a relationship with them. He almost felt a little bad about almost ‘using’ them like that to get what he wanted, but then again, it wasn’t like they weren’t benefitting from his work. 

Back at his place, Robert spent an hour or two talking to his mate again before falling asleep. The next day started much the same as the previous one had, he went to work, did his best, and once he was done with that day’s work, he drove to the cave. 

After playing a few songs and singing his soul out, Robert was surprised by some splashes coming from the lake. He turned around, expecting to see someone from Jimmy’s family or maybe John, but no. They were merpeople, for sure, but he didn’t know these ones. 

They looked like two, rather young, women, girls, and they looked at him with big eyes and excited expressions on their pretty faces. He could only see the tops of their heads and their eyes as they kept the rest of their faces underneath the surface to breathe water. Robert couldn’t help but stare right back at them, before shaking himself out of it.

“Oh, hello...” He said carefully, raising a hand to wave at them in greeting. The girl’s eyes widened and they looked at each other, then back at him. One of them came a little closer and raised her head out of the water, inelegantly getting rid of the water in her system, coughing it up much like Jimmy had done in the beginning, before he got used to it. The other girl soon followed, drawn in by her own curiosity. Robert quickly realized that, of course, these two wouldn’t be able to talk to him.

// Jimmy? There are merpeople here. // He told his mate through the bond, wondering where these two girls came from and how on earth they found this cave. It had taken John almost a week to find him. 

// Oh no. // Jimmy groaned. // I should have told you right away, but... news got out. Everybody knows about you. I didn’t think anybody would dare to go up there, though. //

// Well... it appears these two girls were either particularly brave or curious. Or both. // Robert said, amused. // They look very young. Teenagers, I’d guess. //

// Teenage girls and their fascination with humans... I shouldn’t be the one to judge, though. They are very brave. Swimming all the way up there... it can be scary. Especially down here, once you leave the city. There’s no light down here and it can be very dangerous. You have to rely on echolocation and you can’t swim up to the surface too quickly or you’ll get sick. // Jimmy said. 

// They look fine, they don’t seem to be sick. They’re having a little trouble breathing the air, but they’re fine. // Robert said. He was starting to feel a little like an animal in a zoo with the way they were looking at him. They had come even closer now, sitting on the soft slope in the water, looking him up and down curiously as they coughed with almost every breath of air, clearly not used to it at all.

// Maybe I should tell the authorities so someone can come up and escort them back. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to them because of us. // Jimmy said. 

// Yes, absolutely. I’d never forgive myself if they got hurt because of me. // Robert answered, feeling a little anxious now.

// Can you keep them there for a while, until the guards make it up there? I’m calling them right now, but it’s going to take a while for them to get there. // Jimmy said. 

// I’ll try... what do I do?? // Robert wondered.

// Sing for them? Distract them. Just make sure they don’t leave. // Jimmy suggested. 

Robert looked down at the guitar he was holding, then back up at the girls. He gave them his most charming smile. 

“Hey, would you like me to play a couple of songs for you?” He asked, immediately wondering why he’d done that, since they couldn’t understand him and wouldn’t answer. He plucked the strings of the guitar a little and watched their faces as they got even more curious. He started to play a simple tune before deciding on a song to sing, closing his eyes briefly, purely out of habit. He wanted to keep an eye on the girls, though, so he opened them again, just to see an expression of pure delight on their faces before they looked at each other and giggled. He smiled at them and continued his song. 

// Everything alright up there? The guards are on the way. // Jimmy said. // I told them you’re keeping them busy up there until they make it there. They know you want to keep them safe and mean no harm. // 

// Good, I don’t want those weapons pointed at me again. // Robert said anxiously. // They’re still here, they seem to be getting more comfortable. // 

Indeed, the girls had slowly inched closer to him, lying down in their bellies in the water so their gills wouldn’t dry out, and propped their heads up on their palms as they watched him with utter joy. Just like with the hatchlings, Robert was more than happy to play for such an appreciative audience, so he decided to just enjoy this unusual situation. He took great joy in watching their tail fins, that they kept up and sticking out of the water, swaying to the rhythm of his music, much like Jimmy’s had done that first time he’d played for him.

When he stopped playing for a moment to rest his fingers, he put the guitar down and stretched a little, sighing. When he looked up, one of the mergirls had sat up and was slowly, tentatively, coming over to him. He blinked at her, wondering what she wanted, but then he saw that she was curiously looking at his hair. He couldn’t help but smile, his hair was the first thing Jimmy had wanted to touch, as well. 

When she saw his smile, she smiled back at him nervously, pointed at his hair, then touched her own, showing him what she wanted. Robert nodded and leaned in towards her a little to let her touch it. Her friend (or sibling?) looked terribly nervous and like she’d rather have the other girl back in the water with her, but when she saw them interacting and that nothing bad was happening, she came out of the water, too. Their coughing had stopped almost completely by now, they got used to breathing air. 

As soon as they got more comfortable around him and understood that this human was most definitely not going to hurt them, they were all over him, touching his hair, his clothes, his legs, his feet, and Robert started to feel kind of uncomfortable.

// Uhm, how close to you think the guards are? // He asked Jimmy. 

// Hm, it’s gonna take at least another half an hour for them to get there, probably more. // The merman answered. // Why? I can feel that you don’t quite feel well. What’s wrong? //

/Well. Uhm. The girls got... kind of comfortable around me and uh, they... they’re all over me. // Robert said awkwardly. // They won’t stop touching me. And I’m worried about what this may look like to the guards when they get here. // 

// Huh? Oh. Oh! // Jimmy said and started laughing. // Oh no. Poor Robert. From what you told me you’re quite used to attracting girls attention and them being all over you! // He teased. Robert rolled his eyes.

// Not underage mer-girls, ok? This is making me very uncomfortable. // He huffed. // I can’t just push them away and saying something isn’t gonna help either... //

// Usually, we are very good at reading body language, since a lot of our communication relies on it, but... you don’t have our tail-ruffles, so I guess they wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell you’re uncomfortable that easily. // Jimmy mused. // But they’ll pick up on it, don’t worry. // He then reassured him and Robert sighed. So he’d just have to wait. 

Jimmy turned out to be right, though, and a few minutes later one of the girls stopped messing with his shirt and stopped her friend from touching his legs, shaking her head at her. When the other girl looked all confused, the first one pointed at the water and they made their way back in there to talk. So they weren’t related, Robert thought, or they could have talked telepathically. They were friends. 

// They went back into the lake. I think they might be about to leave! What do I do? // He asked Jimmy. The guards hadn’t arrived yet. 

// I.. I don’t know?? Do something, anything! You can’t let them leave, if they do and they run into anything dangerous on the way back down here and end up getting hurt, that’s on us! We can’t let that happen! // He said. 

// You’re right... but... I can’t just ask them to stay! Wait. I can’t. But maybe you can! // Robert said.

// What? How? I’m all the way down here. // Jimmy said, confused.

// But your computer is up here and from what I gathered yesterday, you have another one down there and you can, like, call this one or something, like a phone? // Robert asked. He had no idea if that was going to work, but maybe he hadn’t gotten this wrong. 

// Oh! Yes! That should work! Quick, get it, I’ll tell you how to use it. // Jimmy said. 

Robert got up and went to the shore where Jimmy kept his things, getting into the water to look for the computer. The girls had noticed him and watched him curiously once again, so at least for now, they weren’t leaving. He waved at them and motioned for them to come closer as he picked up the device.

// Ok, I got it. // He told Jimmy.

// Alright, there’s a button at the top, press it to switch it on. // He said. // Hm, I’ll have to make a second account, I can’t call my own account... // Jimmy then said and Robert had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but he had no time to ask about it, because the computer came to life in his hands as he pressed the little button Jimmy had mentioned, the screen bright and full of beautiful colors. He noticed that it showed a picture of one of Jimmy’s seahorses. 

// It’s on. What do I do now? // Robert asked, staring down at the alien device in confusion. 

// Touch the screen with your fingertip and swipe up to unlock it. // Jimmy said. Robert did just that and briefly, the picture on the screen changed as he pushed the seahorse picture away, just to jump back to it right away. 

// That didn’t work. It’s back to the seahorse. // He pouted.

// Do it more slowly, don’t lift your finger off right away. // Jimmy explained, amused, but again, it didn’t work and went back to the picture of the seahorse. The girls had come to him again and were watching him again, and when they noticed that he was struggling, one of them raised her hand and unlocked the computer with a swift motion of her finger, smiling at him sweetly.

// Well. I couldn’t do it, but I had some help. Luckily the girls know how to use these things. // Robert admitted, making Jimmy laugh. 

// OK, on this screen, you should see different little pictures, look for one that looks like a camera. Well. Our cameras, I don’t know if it looks like a human one? It’s basically a circle with a lense in the middle. // Jimmy tried to explain and Robert sighed. That didn’t help much, but then he noticed that there was only one little picture that fit that description. 

// Oh, I see it. What now? // He asked.

// Touch it! Just tap it with your fingertip! // Jimmy said. // Tell me when the programme is open, then I’ll call you. Keep the computer underneath the surface of the water, I don’t know how it’s going to handle me trying to talk to the girls if you have it on the surface. //

//Alright. // Robert said and tapped the little circle icon. The computer took just a split second to open the programme. // Ok, it’s ready! //

// I’ll call you now, a little notification will appear in the lower right corner. Just tap it to answer my call. // Jimmy said and Robert stared at the lower right corner of the computer screen. All of this was still absolutely unbelievable to him, but he was also looking forward to seeing what would happen next. A little bubble appeared on the screen and Robert quickly tapped it. 

He didn’t expect what happened next. Suddenly, there he was, Jimmy, on the screen, right in front of him, clear as daylight, obviously looking at his own screen nervously. He’d expected this to be a regular phone call, he hadn’t expected to actually *see* his mate. It was wonderful, though, so wonderful that it made his stomach do a funny little flip. 

He could see he was in his home, unharmed and healthy, although his markings looked a tad bit pale. His hair was floating beautifully in the water and the scales on his upper arms were shimmering prettily in the light of his home. He watched, fascinated, as Jimmy raised his hand to wave at him and the girls, who shot each other a worried look.

// I... I didn’t expect to actually see you. // Robert stammered. // You’re so beautiful. It’s so *good* to see you. //

// I know. You, too. I miss you so much. // Jimmy said and smiled at the camera. It had only been a little more than two days since they’d seen each other, but that had been the longest time they had been apart since their bond had formed. 

// Ok, wait, you can’t talk to the girls like this, they need to have their heads in the water to hear you, right? // Robert thought. Jimmy nodded.

// Yes, just give them the computer, I’ll take care of the rest. The guards shouldn’t take too much longer either. // He said and Robert did as he said and gave the computer to one of the girls, who pushed herself off the shore and swam down into the lake with it at Jimmy’s gestures. Soon, Robert faintly heard the beautiful, melodic sounds of mer-tongue and closed his eyes, just listening to it and relaxing a little. 

Everything would be fine, the guards would come and bring the girls back to the mer-city safely and tomorrow, he’d see his mate again, in person. Maybe after the guards and the girls left, they could use the computer for a while to talk to each other and see each other. He listened to Jimmy and the girls talking for a while and as he watched them, the girls grew more and more nervous, the ruffles along their tails twitching and shivering, one of them even looked like she’d started crying. Jimmy had obviously told them about the guards picking them up and they were worried they were going to get in trouble. Robert didn’t know if they were. He knew what they had done was against the law, but maybe they were too young to be held accountable, he certainly hoped so.

It took almost another hour for the guards to finally arrive and Jimmy had managed to calm the girls down a bit, talking to them soothingly and reassuring them that it would be fine. He saw two guards swim up to the girls with very stern expressions on their faces, causing them to look even more scared, which in turn made the guard’s faces soften a little. 

A third guard came up to the surface and Robert looked at her in confusion. What did she want from him? She had the same stern expression on her face and her hand was resting on the weapon attached to her utility belt, but then she smiled at him and gave him a nod. It was then that Robert recognized her as one of the guards that had been there the other day. She obviously approved of him trying to keep the girls safe and alerting them. He smiled back at her and gave her a nod of his own before she turned around and went back into the lake to help her colleagues escort the girls back to the mer-city.

Robert waded into the lake and dove down to pick up the computer from where the girls left it when the guards arrived. To his relief, the call with Jimmy was still connected and he sat at the shore, smiling down at him.

// That went well. Thank you for helping. // He said and Jimmy smiled back at him. Talking to him like this was a little awkward because there was no way Jimmy could use his actual voice to speak english while he was in the water (or, he could, but Robert probably wouldn’t understand), so they had to use their telepathic bond as they looked at each other. 

// I’m just glad they’re going to be safe. // Jimmy sighed. He ran his hand through his hair, then smiled as one of his seahorses swam, or rather floated into the frame. It was great to see Jimmy in his actual home, in the water, with his pets. He lifted his hand and the seahorse curled its tail around one of his fingers in order not to drift off again. 

// How did they find this cave so easily?? Didn’t it take John a week or something to find it?? // Robert asked and Jimmy nodded.

// Yes, it did, but we didn’t have the coordinates for it back then. Now we do, and everybody has computers that can easily guide us to places if we enter the exact coordinates. // Jimmy explained. 

// I didn’t see any computers, they didn’t have any with them... // Robert frowned. 

// They must have had those little ones? Did they have bags on them? // Jimmy asked.

// Oh, yes. They each had one of those shoulder bags. // Robert remembered. 

// See? There are little computers that can do almost anything a bigger one can do and they fit in really small bags. Very useful little devices. The guards also had them on the utility belts, remember? I have one, too, but I rarely use it because I prefer the one you’re holding in your hands right now. // Jimmy explained.

// Ah, I see. // Robert shrugged. He was starting to feel exhausted again, it had been a long day of work and then the incident with the girls happened and being apart from his mate seemed to weaken him and cause him to get tired more easily, to. He yawned. // I can’t wait to see you in person. This is great, but it’s not the same as holding you in my arms. // 

// I can’t wait either. // Jimmy smiled at him sweetly and ‘blew’ him a kiss. Robert returned the gesture, then raised an eyebrow as the merman grinned at him widely. // Do you realize you just earned a lot of bonus points with the guards, with our authorities in general, for keeping those girls safe and being so responsible? // 

// Oh. Yeah, I mean, I guess? // Robert laughed. // One of the guards came up to the surface to smile at me. I guess that was her way of saying thank you. // He mused. 

// See? Things are looking up. We can do this. // Jimmy said and gave him another smile. Robert yawned again. // Oh dear. You should go back home. I don’t want you falling asleep in your car while you’re driving. // 

// That would be bad. // Robert agreed and stifled another yawn. // Do you feel exhausted, too? // He asked. Jimmy nodded.

// A little. But it’s going to get better as soon as we get to see each other tomorrow! // Jimmy said. They talked for a few more minutes, Jimmy showed him around his home a little, it was incredibly beautiful, all sleek and modern looking, everything was glowing with lights and he had round windows to look out at the city and his big, comfortable bed that would keep him warm. Robert saw a lot of electronic devices that he didn’t know and wondered what they were for, but this wasn’t the time to ask about that, he’d learn about them sooner or later. He just hoped Jimmy didn’t find his home ugly or boring. It looked nothing like the mermans home and it didn’t have all those techy gimmicks all over the place. 

He shrugged it off and went back to his car after plugging the computer in to charge, just the way Jimmy had explained it to him. At home, he didn’t even have time to take off his clothes or take a shower, he fell on his bed face first and fell asleep within seconds, exhausted beyond words. Tomorrow would be a great day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 70's Robert using 2020 technology might be my new kink :3 What do you guys think?


	31. Longing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jimmy is finally allowed to visit Robert and the human does his best to impress the merpeople guards that accompany his mate.

He still felt exhausted the next day, despite having slept for more than 10 hours. Sighing and stretching lazily, Robert got out of bed anyways to get ready for the day. Despite how drained he felt, he was looking forward to seeing his mate again and he wanted to make sure it would be a nice day, so he went to the bathroom to shower and shave, making sure he’d look and smell his best. Showing up with stubble wouldn’t do at all, he thought.

It was his day off from work, so he took his time to get ready and before driving to the cave, he hit up a store to stock up on some groceries. He also bought some snacks and fruit to share with Jimmy later that day (staying clear of the peaches, of course). He knew there would be guards supervising their meeting, so he thought it would be rude to not at least offer to share their food with them, so he bought a little more than he usually would have just for the two of them. 

Putting the bags into the trunk of his car, he made his way back home to drop of one of them, keeping the other in the car to take to the cave. As the time of Jimmy arriving drew closer, Robert got more and more excited, it was almost like seeing Jimmy for the first time all over again. He just couldn’t wait anymore and he barely even felt his exhaustion any longer. 

In the cave, he put a big beach towel on the shore, very close to the water so Jimmy would have an easy time getting back in if he needed to. He arranged some fruit and some other snacks on disposable little cardboard plates he bought and switched on the little portable radio they kept in the cave, creating a nice, welcoming atmosphere. 

Once he was done with all that, he still had to wait a while, but he could actually sense Jimmy getting closer and closer. He could also feel how exhausted his mate was. The journey up to the surface was taxing as it is, even for a healthy merman, but an exhausted one who needed his mate would take even longer to make it, Robert knew that. 

When they finally made it to the cave, Robert was by Jimmy’s side in a heartbeat, helping him ashore. Jimmy coughed and spluttered, turning his head away from his mate for a moment to catch his breath. Apparently, spending a few days in the ocean without breathing air at all was enough to make it a little more difficult than it had been previously. 

Jimmy was wheezing and holding on to Robert’s arms, leaning on him heavily, and it took him a while to catch his breath, making Robert all the more worried.

“Are you alright, love?” He asked gently, brushing some of Jimmy’s hair out of his face to look at him. He didn’t even spare a glance at the guards that watched them. 

“Exhausted. I never took that long to get up here.” Jimmy panted. “But I’ll be fine soon.” He then added and raised his head to look at Robert. A brilliant, happy smile appeared on his pale face and the blonde couldn’t help but smile right back at him. 

“I missed you so, so much.” Robert said. “I’m so glad you’re here now.”

“Me too.” Jimmy said. He finally seemed to have gathered enough strength to throw his arms around Robert’s shoulders and pull him into a tight hug. Robert closed his eyes and held him close in turn. It felt so good to have him back in his arms, he felt their bond singing with joy, it seemed to pull them closer to each other and quickly, any exhaustion he’d felt vanished. 

They sat like that and held each other for what felt like an eternity, simply enjoying the fact that they could be together again. Jimmy seemed to feel better after a while, too, although it was obvious that this was affecting him way more than it affected the human, his usually so vibrant markings were so pale. 

When the merman looked up at him, Robert raised a hand to gently caress his cheek, smiling as he noticed that the color was slowly returning now that they were together again. He brushed his thumb along the green stripes on Jimmy’s cheek and chuckled when they turned dark green almost instantly, making the merman look down bashfully. It was adorable. 

“You’re so sweet...” Robert cooed and leaned in to kiss the other cheek. Jimmy blinked up at him briefly, then quickly kissed him on the lips, but only briefly. Now that was nowhere near enough, Robert thought, and kissed him again, much longer this time. Jimmy seemed to melt into his arms, but then he pulled back and nervously looked at the guards behind them. 

Robert had almost forgotten about them, but there they were. They hadn’t drawn their weapons this time, but they were looking at them curiously, watching every single one of Jimmy’s reactions, making him feel self conscious. Sighing, they straightened up a little and Robert gave the shy merman an encouraging smile.

“It’s ok. Let them see. Let them know it’s not ok to keep us apart.” He said. 

“I know, you’re right... that doesn’t make it any less embarrassing, though.” Jimmy sighed and leaned in to hide his face in the fabric of Robert’s shirt. The man wrapped his arms around him and held him close, caressing his back soothingly. 

Robert held him for a while, until he finally raised his head again, smiling up at him this time.

“You know... they said that if this goes well, and nothing bad happens... that the day after tomorrow, I can come here by myself.” He said and once again, he was blushing. Robert raised an eyebrow.

“By yourself? You mean, without guards?” He asked and Jimmy nodded, then giggled nervously and hid his face once again. Only then did it occur to Robert what exactly that meant. “Oh. Oh! You mean... you mean they’d let you come here by yourself so we can...” He trailed off and felt Jimmy nodding against his chest. 

“Yes. I mean, we kind of have to, right?” The merman mumbled. 

“We... *have to*?” Robert asked. He wasn’t sure if he liked the thought that they’d *have to* have sex. “Do we?” He added and Jimmy looked up at him with big eyes.

“Well, yes.” He said, clearly confused. 

“Is it because of the bond? We have to... make love... like, regularly?” Robert wondered. He’d never thought about that before. Jimmy tilted his head and considered him carefully for a moment.

“Yes. Don’t you feel it? Don’t you... need it? The exhaustion we’re both feeling isn’t just because we were apart.” He explained. He looked a little worried, so Robert tried to reassure him quickly.

“I do feel that and I do need... want to...” He stammered. “I just didn’t know it was actually important. For the bond and your health, I mean. Is that why your markings got so pale?” That would explain why Jimmy had gotten so flustered in front of the guards. 

“Yes.” Jimmy said in a small voice and looked down. 

“I see. God, Jimmy, I’m sorry. I had no idea. I still don’t know how exactly merpeople work.” Robert said and pulled him into a tight hug again. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Of course you wouldn’t want them to see you like that...” He sighed and shook his head. 

“It’s ok. It’s not your fault and it can’t be helped.” The merman said and shrugged. “I will get over it.” 

“If it’s any consolation... it would be great if you could come here the day after tomorrow because, coincidentally, it’s my birthday! Having you here would be the best birthday present ever!” Robert said. 

“Really? Your birthday?” The merman asked. “Oh no! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I barely have any time to come up with a good present for you!” He pouted.

“Didn’t I just tell you that having you here with me would be the best present?” Robert chuckled, but the merman just pouted at him.

“I wanted to get or make you something really special.” He said. 

“You don’t have to, sweetheart. It’s alright. I just want to have you in my arms, that’s all I need.” Robert said soothingly. “Do merpeople celebrate birthdays? I mean, it’s gotta be a big thing, with so many siblings...?” He wondered. Jimmy smiled, amused.

“Hatching days are special, yes. We usually have really big parties, the whole family comes to visit, there’s special food and presents.” He said. “Mine is a little more special than usually, though.” He grinned.

“Oh? How so?” Robert asked, intrigued.

“Because I didn’t hatch on the same day as my siblings.” Jimmy said. “I told you one that I was the last to hatch, right? Well, I hatched a day later than all the others, so I’ve got my very own hatching day. That doesn’t happen too often.” 

“You really are special!” Robert said and tickled his sides lightly, making him laugh. “Took your sweet time to get out of your shell just to get your own party, huh?” He said teasingly and Jimmy pouted up at him, but he was also smiling, so he wasn’t offended.

“It’s not like I chose to do that!” He pouted and tickled Robert right back. They laughed and got into a bit of a tickling war until they were both a little out of breath. 

“Look, I brought some food to share. I brought a little more than usually, to share with the guard, too. I thought it would be the polite thing to do. What do you think?” Robert asked.

“Sure. If they want some. I don’t know if they’d trust human food.” Jimmy mused. 

“They will if they see you eating some.” Robert said and offered a plate of sliced fruit to Jimmy. The merman looked at the slices and picked up a piece of apple, eating it, while Robert went for some pineapple. He then offered the plate to the guards who were sitting a ways away from them, in the water. They eyed it suspiciously until Jimmy smiled at them and motioned for them to come over, as well. 

Reluctantly, they came to sit on the towel as well, still eying the food suspiciously. Jimmy shrugged and reached for some slices of banana that made his fingers sticky, so he licked them and grinned at Robert cheekily, making the human laugh. 

“Come on, take some, it’s good, I promise.” Robert told the guards, despite knowing they couldn’t understand him, putting the plate down on the towel between them and pushing it a little closer to them. They still looked a little suspicious, but then curiosity took over and they each took a piece of whatever looked the most appealing to them, sniffing it curiously before taking a tentative bite. 

They seemed to like the fruit well enough, soon reaching for some more, so Robert took the second plate he’d prepared and put it between them as well. This one contained savoury snacks, and knowing that merpeople couldn’t deal very well with dry foods, Robert had opted for some italian antipasti instead. They’d been expensive, much more than he’d usually spend on food, but they had looked so, so good and he knew they’d be a great introduction to human food for merpeople. There were several kinds of olives with herbs and garlic, there were little peppers filled with cream cheese, there were dried tomatoes with a different kind of cheese and other little goodies that were all full of flavour.

“Oh, hmm, this is so, so good!” Jimmy moaned as he popped one of the little bites into his mouth. “I love this! This is so tasty! There’s so many different flavours!! Humans are just so good with food... we don’t have that kind of stuff down there.” He admitted. The guards seemed to think so as well, because the plate with the antipasti was soon empty, while the one with the fruit still had a few pieces on it. 

“I’m glad you liked it. I can buy some more for the next time! Or I could try to make some at home...” Robert mused. He should be saving money instead of splurging on fancy food. 

“Can you take me to your place the day after tomorrow, if they let me come? I’ll ask them to let me spend the night.” Jimmy asked, blushing slightly and looking down bashfully. 

“Of course, I’d love to!” Robert answered immediately. He’d really enjoyed having Jimmy at his place. The guards had started gesturing between themselves and one of them pointed at the water. Apparently, they had something to talk about. They left and Jimmy looked up at Robert shyly. “What is it?” Robert asked him, curious. He looked so shy. 

“Well... I was thinking... there is one gift I could give you for your birthday.” Jimmy whispered, batting his eyelashes at him and trailing a finger down the center of Robert’s chest before getting flustered again and stopping, lowering his gaze. He seemed a tad bit bolder now that the guards weren’t watching their every move. The human raised an eyebrow again, that sounded very exciting, although he had no idea what the merman meant.

“Oh? Do you?” He answered clumsily and Jimmy huffed, obviously annoyed that Robert didn’t understand what exactly he was getting at. Of course he’d gathered that it was something ‘naughty’, but he didn’t quite know what exactly. It still sent a thrill down his spine.

“We talked about it once, remember? You asked me how two mermen would make love.” Jimmy said and Robert’s jaw dropped. Jimmy wanted to do THAT? Really? Now Robert definitely was excited, although he was also worried.

“B-but... you said we couldn’t, because... because my... I’m... uh... big?” He stammered and Jimmy rolled his eyes.

“We could try.” He said, looking down and drawing shapes into the sand next to the towel nervously with the tip of his finger. He seemed so disappointed at Robert’s reaction, so the blonde quickly took his hand.

“Hey. Look at me.” He said, caressing the back of his hand. “It’s not that I don’t want to! I do! But... not if it’s painful or uncomfortable for you. I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“I thought you’d be more excited.” Jimmy said sadly.

“I am! Oh god, I am! I want to do that so badly, but... as I said, not at that price.” Robert said, shaking his head. 

“Let’s just try? If it hurts, we can just stop and do something else.” Jimmy offered. “It’s not like I can lie to you, you’d feel if I’m not having a good time.” 

“Right.” Robert nodded. “You’re right. Let’s try. If it doesn’t work out, I have a few ideas for some other things we could do.” He grinned and leaned in for a kiss that Jimmy eagerly returned. Now, Robert definitely felt the longing to be alone with his mate and he wished the guards could just get lost for an hour or two, but he also knew it wasn’t going to happen. He also clearly felt Jimmy’s longing, his need to be with him, and it seemed to be much stronger, but they would have to wait. He just hoped it wouldn’t take too much of a toll on Jimmy’s health. 

All too soon, the guards came out of the water and gestured for Jimmy to come back. They had to leave and Robert really, really did not want to let the merman go. Reluctantly, they said their goodbyes and Robert sat on the towel for a while, on his own, before he got into gear and tidied up their plates and put away the towel. He drove back home, hoping that they’d allow Jimmy to come see him again, without guards to watch him, next time. He didn’t see why they wouldn’t, everything had gone well once again, the guards had been friendly enough and they’d obviously enjoyed the food Robert had offered.

He couldn’t help being very excited about Jimmy’s offer, either. He’d longed to experience that with his mate ever since they’d talked about it and now, it might just happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3 you know what's coming in the next chapter, don't you? Are you excited? :3


	32. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Robert's birthday! Jimmy joins him on land, there's presents and birthday sex ;) of course there are some small incidents as well....

Robert’s folks were upset he hadn’t invited them over for a birthday party and he also wasn’t coming back home for it, either. His parents were worried that he’d become somewhat of a recluse, a hermit, since they didn’t know about Jimmy. He made up some excuses about being sick and Bonzo backed him up, telling his family he’d visited recently and Robert had definitely been coming down with something. 

Robert just hoped that none of them were planning a surprise visit or anything like that, because he really, really, really just wanted to spend his birthday with his mate, no interruptions. If the guards allowed him to take Jimmy home, that was. 

He learned the next evening that indeed, they were allowing them to spend the whole day together as well as for Jimmy to stay the night at Robert’s place, if they promised to be careful and that Jimmy won’t be seen by any other humans. Robert knew just how they were going to do that and suggested for Jimmy to be at the cave before sunrise, so he could take him home early in the morning, before the other residents of the village were up, and he’d take him back early the next morning. 

Robert spent the whole evening tidying up and cleaning his place (he’d neglected that a little recently, putting all his energy into the hotel), making sure it looked and smelled nice, he even put a few flowers and candles around the place to make it a little romantic. Jimmy would probably laugh at him for that, but Robert couldn’t help himself, he was a romantic at heart. 

This year, his Mum wouldn’t be able to bake him a birthday cake like she usually did, but Robert still wanted one, so he just bought the biggest, nicest cake from the local bakery that he could find, to share with his mate the next day. Before bed, he talked to Jimmy for a bit, making sure they were on the same page as far as their plan for the next day went, and then he went to sleep, knowing he’d have to get up early to pick up his mate.

He prepared his car with two big blankets in the back, one for Jimmy to lie on and the other for him to cover himself with, just in case. In the cave, Robert put the big beach tower they had used for him to carry Jimmy the last time on the floor and waited for his mate to show up. It did not take long, and when Jimmy made it ashore, he immediately flung himself into Robert’s arms, laughing happily and starting to kiss his face all over.

“Happy birthday!” He said and hugged Robert tightly before kissing him deeply.

“Thank you...” Robert said as he pulled back to look at his mate. 

“Wait! I got you something!” Jimmy said excitedly and turned around to open his bag. 

Robert was about to suggest waiting until they were at his place, when suddenly Jimmy released a high pitched screech that made his ears ring. The merman started flailing and trashing his tail around and Robert felt fear and disgust through their bond.

“What the fuck? Jimmy?” Robert asked, trying to see what was happening, but it was rather dark in the cave despite the little battery powered light he’d switched on. 

“Get it off me, get it off me!” Jimmy squealed and covered his eyes, thrusting the end of his tail in Robert’s direction.

“Get *what* off of you? Oh my god, calm down!” Robert yelled, taking a hold of Jimmy’s tail.

“Get that disgusting thing off of my tail!!” The merman yelled again and still, Robert had no idea what he meant. He pulled Jimmy’s tail a little closer to the light and indeed, there was something clinging to it.

“The... starfish?” He asked in disbelief. It was just a starfish, a rather big one, but still, it was just a starfish that had put Jimmy in such a state.

“Please get it off, please!” The merman said desperately, still covering his face, he was trembling and his frills were twitching violently. 

“Alright, alright, hold on.” Robert said and started to carefully pry the offending critter off of his mate’s tail, tossing it back into the water. Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief and shuddered. 

“Thank you.” He whispered. Now, Robert felt embarrassment rather than fear coming through the bond and he gently caressed Jimmy’s tailfin. 

“You’re welcome. I didn’t know merpeople are scared of starfish.” He said. “Are they poisonous?” Jimmy cleared his throat.

“Uh, n-no, they’re just really, really disgusting. The way they cling to things with those disgusting little things underneath... ugh.” He shuddered again and Robert chuckled. Starfish were to merpeople what spiders would be for humans, he supposed. He paused when he felt something else on Jimmy’s tail that wasn’t usually there, a thick band around the end of it, just above his fin. 

“What’s that?” He asked. He couldn’t see properly in the dark cave, so he couldn’t tell what it was. 

“It’s... it’s a tracking device.” Jimmy whispered, pulling his tail away and curling it up. Robert looked up at his face in disbelief. 

“WHAT?” He asked, angry. He couldn’t believe it. “They are... tracking your location??” When Jimmy nodded, Robert couldn’t help the anger surging inside him, this went against everything he believed in, freedom was one of the most important things to him and merpeople putting trackers on people infuriated him. All he wanted was to get that thing off of Jimmy’s tail, much more so than the stupid starfish. 

“Robert, no.” Jimmy said sadly. He must have sensed what Robert wanted, or he’d heard his thoughts, the human still wasn’t very good at controlling them, especially when he got emotional. “We can’t take it off. This was the condition I agreed to, to be allowed to come on my own, without guards.” 

“But... this is... this is *wrong*, Jimmy!” Robert said. “Why are you letting them treat you like this??” The merman looked at him sadly and sighed.

“Because I *need* you.” He whispered and looked down again. Robert didn’t know what to say, so he just pulled Jimmy into a tight hug and held him close for a moment. He pressed a gentle kiss to his brow.

“I’m so sorry you have to go through this, because of me.” He whispered. Jimmy raised his head and pecked his cheek.

“It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault. We’ll get through this and it’s going to be wonderful.” He said, taking Robert’s hands into his own. “For now, we’ll just have to grit our teeth and bear it, as wrong and awful as it seems to you right now.” Robert looked down at Jimmy’s tail again and shook his head.

“What do they even want to do if I do decide not to bring you back? It’s not like they can follow us on land.” He huffed. Jimmy blinked at him.

“I would, at one point, have to go back into the ocean, you know. They’d be there, waiting.” He pointed out and Robert sighed.

“Right.” He gave in and shook his head again. He still couldn’t believe how these merpeople were treating one of their own who hadn’t really done anything bad, at least not in his book. “Alright, let’s go.” He said and got up to gather the ends of the towel and lift Jimmy up with it.

“Wait, don’t you want your present?” Jimmy asked.

“At home, ok? Let’s get the unpleasant part over with before we have fun.” Robert said and handed Jimmy the flashlight so he could light the way through the tunnel. Jimmy nodded and allowed Robert to pick him up. He could sense that Robert was upset about the tracker and that he’d need a moment to calm down. 

“I’m excited about getting a ride in your car again. I was too terrified to really enjoy it the last time.” Jimmy admitted and Robert chuckled. 

“I think we can risk driving around a little, it’s gonna be a while before the rest of the village wakes up.” He said. It was still dark, but luckily Jimmy could see just fine in the dark. 

They’d made it to his car and he carefully helped Jimmy on the backseat where he sat propped up against a window, looking outside. He drove off and took his time driving around a little, along the pastures and fields, then through town. Jimmy got excited about some horses and cows they spotted along the way, then he told Robert about how interesting he thought human houses were. He was adorable in his excitement and the human felt his anger slowly subside. At least, this way, they got to be together and the merpeople had some sense of peace and security, knowing where Jimmy was. 

Getting Jimmy into his apartment was another exciting little adventure. A little too exciting for Robert’s liking, because when he hoisted the merman out of the car and made his way to the little house in the back of the hotel, he stopped dead in his tracks. The owner of the hotel was up and he was walking around in the little alleyway that lead to Robert’s home, apparently checking on some stuff around the hotel. The blonde cursed when he noticed that the old man had spotted them.

// Quick, play dead. Pretend you’re a doll, don’t move. Hold your breath. // He told Jimmy through their bond. Jimmy went limp in his arms, making him even harder to carry, but Robert grit his teeth and carried on. 

“Good Morning, Robert!” The old man greeted him cheerfully and Robert forced a smile on his face. “You’re up early, and working hard, I see!”

“Good Morning. Yes, of course, always.” Robert said nervously, silently praying that this would work, somehow, and the old man wouldn’t notice that Jimmy was very much alive. 

“What have you got there?” The man asked curiously, slowly waddling over to him, leaning on his cane heavily. 

“It’s, uh, decoration for halloween. I’m planning, uhm, a party. A theme party, really, you know, with all the creepy stuff from the ocean and I found this merman doll.” He stammered. The panic he felt through their bond was almost overwhelming and he was glad he’d kept the blanket draped across Jimmy’s body, because the ruffles along his tail were going crazy in his panic and fear, and he knew there was no way they would have been able to hide that Jimmy was alive if they hadn’t been covered.

“Oh, I see. So that’s what you young people get up to these days, huh?” The old man chuckled and came closer to look at Jimmy. “It IS terrifying, isn’t it? Very realistic looking!” He said.

“Oh yeah, absolutely horrifying.” Robert answered. “Very heavy, too, so if you’ll excuse me...” He added and the old man chuckled again.

“Of course my boy, of course. Oh, isn’t it your birthday today?” He then said, remembering. 

“Yes, yes it is. I’ll be having some friends over today, but don’t worry, we won’t be too loud, I promise.” Robert answered. 

“It’s quite alright, don’t worry about that. Happy birthday, Robert, I hope you’ll have a good time.” The old man said with a kind smile before turning to leave. The blonde breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the same kind of relief from his mate. He quickly made his way to his apartment and got inside, closing the door behind him before putting Jimmy down on the sofa.

“Holy. Fucking. Shit. That was close.” He groaned and Jimmy just stared at him with big eyes. 

“Yes.” He whispered, shaken. “That could have gone horribly wrong.” He added, then tilted his head at Robert. “Heavy and terrifying, huh? Horrifying, even!” Robert groaned again, of course Jimmy wouldn’t just let that slide.

“Come on, I had to come up with *something*... I did also call you decorative, didn’t I?” He defended himself and they looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. Robert plopped down on the sofa next to his mate, laughing until he had tears in his eyes. Jimmy was wheezing and holding on to him. “I can’t believe that happened and we got away with it.” 

“How did you get that idea so quickly?” Jimmy asked. Robert shrugged.

“Easy. When I first saw you, when you were all tangled up in that stupid net... I thought you were just a guy in a costume. I marveled at how beautiful and realistic the costume is, but I still believed it to be just that, a costume.” He explained. 

“Oh. I get it now.” Jimmy answered and reached up to caress Robert’s cheek gently.

“So, you said you had a present for me?” Robert asked cheekily and grinned at the merman. 

“I do!” Jimmy said excitedly and twisted around a bit to get to his bag. He pulled out a small box, then a slightly bigger one. They were both still wet, but Robert had gotten so used to things being wet, he didn’t mind. Jimmy handed him the smaller box first and Robert eagerly opened it. It looked a lot like a human jewelry box, quite similar and yet so different. Inside, there was jewelry indeed. A beautiful, light silver necklace adorned with gorgeous seashells, gems and... scales. Large, green, very familiar scales that came together in the middle of the necklace, sort of like a pendant.

“Oh wow... this is beautiful. Did... did you *make* this?? Are these your scales?” Robert stammered. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Jimmy nodded bashfully. 

“Yes. I thought you might like it, you told me that my color is now your favorite color.” He said shyly and Robert grinned at him.

“I absolutely adore it. Thank you so, so much.” He said and leaned in to kiss his mate. He looked down at the necklace and counted the scales, 6 in total. “How did you get so many scales? You didn’t pluck yourself, did you?” He frowned. Jimmy laughed.

“No, you silly human, you!” He giggled. “Scales fall out sometimes and new ones grow. It’s normal. I just collected these to make this for you.” Robert nodded, remembering the conversation they’d had about that before.

“Well, thank you. I love it, so so much.” He said.

“You’re welcome. There’s more, though.” Jimmy grinned and handed him the second box. 

Robert opened it and blinked in confusion. In the box, there seemed to be... another box? It was all sleek and black and Robert took it out of the box to turn it around and look at it, but he still had no idea what it was. Jimmy noticed his confusion and smiled mischievously, touching the thing once and it came to live. It was a computer, much like the one Jimmy had in the cave. This one, however, did not greet him with a picture of a seahorse, it was a simple black screen with the word “welcome” written on it in white letters. In human writing. He blinked at Jimmy.

“I can read that.” He said in disbelief. Jimmy laughed.

“Of course you can, it’s english.” He said, amused. Robert blinked at the device again. It now said ‘swipe up to unlock’ under the ‘welcome’, so he did just that and smiled widely when he was greeted by a picture of Jimmy, grinning into the camera adorably. 

“You made this, too, didn’t you? You translated it so I could use it.” He said. It was oddly touching, he knew it must have been a hell of a lot of work. Jimmy nodded.

“Yes. I’m sorry if there are mistakes, I did my best. It isn’t done, I didn’t have time to translate everything properly, but the basic functions are there. You can take pictures with it, or videos, you can use the calendar and set reminders, you can make it do complicated calculations for you... I thought you could use it for work. It can run business simulations, too, you can make it calculate certain scenarios based on financial decisions you make... it’s a little complicated, but I can explain it a little more some other time.” Jimmy stammered. 

“Wow.” Robert breathed. “That’s amazing, and all of that in such a small device! That’s so cool!” He said. He looked at the screen again and tapped the screen where it said “camera” underneath a little camera icon. The screen changed and it became all black with a few white icons on it. He was confused again, so Jimmy lifted it off of his lap and Robert understood that the camera was on the back. He raised the computer until he saw Jimmy’s face on the screen. The merman poked his pointy tongue out and Robert touched the little icon that would make it take a picture. He laughed at the adorable picture he got and grinned at the merman happily.

“Do you like it?” Jimmy asked worriedly. “I thought this could be fun and also useful for your work at the hotel...”

“Baby, these are the best presents I have ever gotten!” Robert said enthusiastically. “However... what if someone finds this? How do I explain what this is??” He asked, pointing at the computer. Jimmy shrugged.

“They wouldn’t know that it’s anything unusual unless it’s switched on, right? Just keep it hidden under your bed or something and nobody is going to notice.” He said. Robert nodded, he was probably right. He played around with some things that caught his eye, a simple calculator, a more complicated one, something that looked like a chart, the calendar Jimmy had mentioned. It was mindblowing and he knew it would be very useful. 

“Thank you so, so much. This is amazing.” Robert said, putting the thing down to kiss his mate. “I stand by what I said, though, the best gift is having you here with me, in my arms.” He said, earning himself a bright, happy smile from the merman. 

They stayed on the sofa, holding each other, cuddling and resting a little after the scare with Robert’s boss. 

“So... we have all day.” Robert then said. “And all night. What would you like to do? Would you like to listen to some music? Watch TV? I’m sure you can play with Minka again, later! We can make food and eat! Are you drying up, do you need a bath? We can do that!” He rambled, but Jimmy just smiled at him mysteriously and put a finger across his lips to shush him.

“I know exactly what I want to do.” He whispered and batted his eyelashes at him. Robert bit his lip as he looked into those eyes, the unusually big, green irises with those slightly oddly shaped pupils as they dilated a little when Robert leaned in a little closer. 

“Yeah...?” The human breathed, mesmerized, and brushed his lips against the merman’s. “You’re really not wasting any time, are you?” He chuckled and Jimmy shook his head, then gave him a slightly insecure look.

“I can’t. I don’t have any time to waste. I need you.” He said and Robert could tell that he was a little ashamed now. He hadn’t noticed it before, because it had been dark, but now that they were at his place and the light was on, he could tell that Jimmy’s markings were awfully pale once again. Being apart and not being able to be with his mate was obviously taking quite a toll on the merman’s health. Robert raised a hand to gently caress Jimmy’s cheek.

“Hey, it’s alright... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tease you about this, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I understand.” He cooed soothingly. “It’s ok. It’s not your fault.” 

“It’s just...” Jimmy huffed. “It’s just that... I feel awful about this because it affects me so much, I could, potentially, die if we don’t get to be together in that way, and you aren’t affected by it at all!” 

“I am, though.” Robert said. “Maybe not as much as you, but I’ve been incredibly tired and exhausted by every little thing ever since they took you away and we haven’t... made love. I’ve been sleeping for at least 10 hours a night and still, I was exhausted the next day.” He shrugged. “It must be that, because it didn’t go away even once they let us meet. We just don’t know how exactly it affects me.” 

“I’m sorry...” Jimmy whispered and leaned into Robert’s hand, closing his eyes.

“Shhh, no. None of this is your fault, my love.” Robert cooed and leaned in to kiss his mate. “Let’s fix this, alright?” He then said with a little smile and when Jimmy giggled and nodded, he got up from the sofa, picked up his mate and carried him over to his bed. It was quite a bit bigger and way more comfortable than the sofa. 

He lay down alongside the merman and kissed him again, sinking into the pillows and sighing happily when Jimmy kissed him back eagerly and wrapped his tail around his ankle, just like he usually did. Jimmy soon started to fumble with the buttons of Robert’s shirt, wanting it off, wanting to feel the other’s skin against his own, and Robert humored him, helping him in taking it off. 

“Do you still want to do... you know?” He asked as he pulled Jimmy into his arms, smiling at the spark that went through their bond when their skin touched. The merman nodded. 

“Yes. Why are you asking? Don’t you...?” He asked and chewed his lower lip worriedly. Robert stopped him by pecking his lips, worried he was gonna hurt himself with those sharp little teeth of his. 

“I do! I do, of course I do. It’s just...” He grinned at the merman and leaned in to whisper into his ear. “If that is what you want, I’d better do my very best to get you as wet as possible.” He purred, lowering his voice seductively. Jimmy shivered in his arms.

“That’s not going to take long at all if you keep doing that.” He said. His hands were clutching at Robert’s shoulders and he was already moving against his body rhythmically. 

“Doing what? This?” Robert whispered, making sure his lips were touching the small shell of Jimmy’s ear with every whispered word, making him shiver even more. “Or this?” He added and started kissing neck, keeping each kiss feather light and soft. “Or maybe... this?” He asked as he started trailing his hand down Jimmy’s side, then to the front, towards his sheath. 

When his fingers brushed against the soft skin between the two little fins, he wasn’t all that surprised that he was already a little wet, he knew pretty well what Jimmy liked, after all. He caressed the area gently, feeling his fingers getting wetter with every little caress. When Jimmy was clinging to him, breathing heavily already and making little sounds into their kisses, he slipped a single finger inside and teased the little head of his cock inside his sheath. 

The merman broke the kiss and threw his head back, moaning, and Robert felt his tail tighten around his ankle. He was so close already and he’d barely even touched him. He grinned to himself and kissed his now exposed neck again, sucking a little to leave a mark on the pale skin as he moved his finger faster, rubbing quick little circles around the head of Jimmy’s cock. 

Jimmy gasped and clawed at his back, making a desperate little sound and Robert felt him pulsing and twitching inside his sheath as he came. He caressed him through it and let him catch his breath before removing his hand and kissing him again.

“One.” He said with a little smile as he pulled back.

“One?” Jimmy asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

“I was wondering how often I can make you come before we do this, you know.” Robert said. “Before you beg me for it.” He grinned. Jimmy blinked at him, then he started laughing. 

“I will not beg!” He said, clearly amused, but Robert could tell that he was also turned on. “Never!”

“Are you sure?” He raised an eyebrow. When he looked down at his hand and Jimmy’s crotch and the mess he’d made, he chuckled again. “Tissues. We’ll need them.” He said and made to get up from the bed to find some. Jimmy was obviously feeling a little playful as he refused to uncurl his tail from Robert’s ankle, holding him there, so the human had to keep one leg on the bed and hop around on one leg to get far enough to grab some tissues. He quickly cleaned up the mess, then grinned at the merman again. 

He pushed him on his back and straddled his tail. Before leaning in to kiss him, he took a moment to admire him now that his markings were that bright, vibrant green again. He looked healthy and happy again and that was all that mattered to Robert. He leaned down to kiss him, then, and Jimmy’s hands came up to caress his back, gently and softly, soothing the spots where’d scratched him a little. 

“Next, you’re gonna come in my mouth.” Robert then said, out of the blue, and Jimmy groaned, thrusting up against him eagerly. The blonde gently took a hold of Jimmy’s arms, removing them from around him and pushing them town on the bed. He grinned up at him before starting to slowly, teasingly, kiss his way down his torso. 

Before he even reached his destination, Jimmy unsheathed his cock, obviously eager for what Robert was about to do. He knew, of course, just how eager the human was to taste him, sweet and ever so slightly salty. He surprised Jimmy by just going for it, taking almost all of him into his mouth at once, making him gasp and arch on the bed.

“Fuck, yes.” He moaned. Somehow, hearing the merman curse was still a huge turn on for Robert, it just seemed so dirty, coming from him, with his soft little voice and with that slight accent and his cute lisp. He began to slowly bob his head, sucking him, but just a little, wanting to draw this out, make it last. He felt their bond singing with joy, now that they were together, and it just felt so good.

He teased him for a while, adding some soft caresses with his hands to the mix, gently touching his hips, his torso, his chest, as he slowly sped up, sucking harder as he did. Jimmy arched his back again, grabbing the sheet to have something to hold on to as he came again. 

Robert let go of him and quickly spat into a tissue, the thick goop was just too hard to swallow, this was easier and quicker. Jimmy pulled him up and closer, starting to kiss him feverishly, heatedly, his entire body, usually so cool, seemed to be radiating heat.

“Please, I want you, so much, so badly, please Robert.” Jimmy started rambling. He started messing with the button of the blonde’s jeans, but he was too uncoordinated to get anywhere. “Off. Off! Please, please.” He whispered and Robert couldn’t help but grin against his lips. 

“What was that about not begging...? Ever?” He said teasingly and Jimmy made a frustrated little growl and glared at him, tugging at the button again until Robert took pity on him and helped him. 

“You drive me crazy, human.” Jimmy said, uncurling his tail from Robert’s ankle so he could take off the jeans and his underwear. Robert tossed them aside and suddenly, he found himself on his back with Jimmy on top of him. Surprised, he blinked at his mate and bit his lip when he saw the look in his eyes, heated, passionate, almost predatory. Jimmy always got a little... aggressive, at some point, when he got really turned on and Robert actually liked it. A lot. It was exciting.

Jimmy kissed him again, actually nipping at his lips a little, making Robert gasp in surprise, before grinning at him.

“My turn.” He said, trailing a hand down Robert’s stomach, lower, to curl it around his hard length. That simple touch felt so, so good, like it never felt before, because it had been so long, or because of their bond, Robert didn’t know, nor did he care, he just closed his eyes and enjoyed it. 

“I want to feel... this... inside me. So badly.” Jimmy whispered into his ear as he stroked him. Robert pulled back a little to look at him and reached up to brush some of his drying hair out of his face.

“Are you sure? Are you ready for this?” He asked and Jimmy smiled at him, looking down his own body.

“Does it look like I’m not?” He asked and Robert followed his gaze. He’d sheathed his cock again, but he was completely wet, glistening, even oozing a little of the slick moisture. He groaned and nodded.

“Alright.” He said and gently pushed Jimmy on his back again. “There, this should work...” He murmured as he straddled the merman’s tail once again, careful not to kneel on his frills accidentally. 

He paused for a moment to look up at Jimmy’s face, seeing that look of excitement, need, want and love. He leaned in to kiss him again before looking down and taking his own cock into his hand, slowly guiding it to rub the head of it against Jimmy’s sheath, getting as much of the slick lubricant on it as possible. The last thing he wanted was for Jimmy to get hurt, so he took his time spreading it a little and slowly, gently rubbing his cock against the slit. 

Carefully, he applied a little more pressure. Jimmy’s breath hitched as he slid in, just a little. Robert paused again, just to make sure he wasn’t hurting his mate, but it seemed alright, it was fine, so he continued. He couldn’t help the little moan that escaped his lips, Jimmy was so slick and tight and the heat he felt as he slid in almost overwhelmed him. 

At some point, he couldn’t go any further, he couldn’t fit any more of his cock inside, there just wasn’t enough room, but that didn’t matter. Even though he couldn’t fit all the way, it felt amazing. He leaned in, resting some of his weight on his mate, some on his elbows, and nuzzled the merman’s neck, sighing happily. He could tell, through their bond, that it felt good for Jimmy, too, but he needed to hear it.

“You feel amazing... so hot, so tight...” He whispered and kissed his neck, just below his ear. “Does it feel good to you, too?” He asked and Jimmy nodded, softly caressing his back with one hand, playing with his hair with the other. Neither of them moved, simply enjoying the moment. 

“I feel... full.” Jimmy whispered, awed. “I feel *you*. I feel so... close to you. Connected.” Robert smiled at his choice of word, even though he knew he meant their bond, which felt stronger than ever. They stayed like that, just holding each other, caressing each other and kissing, for quite a while, before Robert slowly started moving his hips, just a little. 

“Oh! Yes... don’t stop.” Jimmy gasped even though Robert had barely moved, making the man chuckle. He pulled out a little further and slowly slid back in, and again, Jimmy moaned as Robert’s cock rubbed against his own inside his sheath. “It feels so good... more. Please.” 

Robert didn’t need to be told twice, he did as he was told and Jimmy pulled him down for a heated kiss. Soon, Robert felt that familiar feeling he knew so well by now, their bond seemed to tighten, it almost felt as if it was physically pulling them closer, and he knew Jimmy was close, this wasn’t going to last any longer. He felt exactly the same, so he sped up a little, whispering sweet little words to his mate, until he could no longer form them, only little gasps and moans leaving his lips as he lost any connection to the world around them, all that mattered was them, their connection, their pleasure, their bond, as they both came. 

When he came back to his senses, he groggily raised himself up on his arms, to see Jimmy smiling at him, looking just as exhausted, but utterly pleased, as he felt. Carefully, he pulled out and lay down next to his mate.

“That was... amazing.” Jimmy whispered.

“It was...” Robert chuckled, resting his head on the merman’s shoulder. 

Looking down, he saw the mess they made, their come slowly leaking from Jimmy’s sheath. But more than that, he noticed that it was gaping open slightly, he could even see inside a little, seeing the sensitive pink skin inside and the tip of Jimmy’s cock. It sent a new jolt of arousal through his body. He blinked and bit his lip as he groaned at the sight. 

“What’s wrong?” Jimmy asked worriedly. Robert chuckled again.

“Nothing. Nothing at all. On the contrary.” He grinned and hid his face in Jimmy’s hair. “Seeing you, like that... is so hot.” 

“Oh? Oh.” Jimmy gasped as he looked down, then he giggled. “Does that turn you on?” He whispered and Robert nodded. “Hmmm... does that mean that I get round two?” Jimmy asked, amusement and hope in his voice. Robert couldn’t help but laugh. 

“That means round two, yes.” He confirmed and nipped the cheeky merman in the shoulder lightly. He was already getting hard again from seeing him like that and thinking about what it felt like and he could tell Jimmy was delighted by that fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a slightly longer one! :) I hope you enjoyed it, if you did, please do let me know, I need every single comment I can get! ;) Thank you for reading!


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